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-1887 
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REYNOLDS  HISTORICAL 
GENF'VLO'^Y  <~6i  LECTION 


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The  Historical  Record 

A  MONTHLY    PUBLICATION 


DEVOTED    PRINCIPALLY    TO 


^fec  iSarl^  Tbistory?  of  TO^ominp  IDalleig 

AND  CONTIGUOUS  TERRITORY 

WITH 

NOTES    AND    QUERIES 

Biographical,  Antiquarian,  Genealogical 

O 

EDITED  BY  F.  C.  JOHNSON,  M.  D. 


Vol.   i — September    1886   to   August   1887 


W1LKES-BARRE,  PA. 

press  of  tfbe  wmus*mvvc  Kecord 

MDCCCLXXXVII 


1702599 


INDEX, 


A  Brave  Frontier  Ranger 125 

Aboriginal  Stone  Implements -15 

Academy,  Old,   Appeal  for,  by  Dr.  T.  W. 

Minor" 01 

Reminiscences  of  C.  E.  Lathrop 39 

Text  Books  of ::l 

Adams,  Miss  M.  A.  dead 137 

Adieu  to  Wyoming,  An  Old  Poem 150 

Alexander,  Silas  dead 106 

Algonquins  Cannibals S6 

Allentown  (Fort  Allen)  in  ]  7 50 110 

Anthony.  Richard  dead 1S7 

Apple  Tree,  an  Historic 29 

April  Snow  Storms 127 

A  qua  in  Indian  Names 155 

A  Relic  of  Pioneer  Pays 1 96 

Atherton.  Mrs.  S.  E.  dead 75 

Autograph  Letter  of  Washington 122 

Bassett  Family  Reunion ....   23 

Barnum  Charles  T.  dead 79 

Bartlett,  0.  D.  dead 92 

Beaumont,  Andrew  War  Song  by 32 

Beaver  James  A.  Governor.  Sketch  of.  . . .   53 

Boebe,  Orilla  Waller  dead 57 

Beck,  Harry  Sketch  of 203 

Bennett,  Mrs.  Sarah  S .169 

Berwick  Centennial 7,9 

Berwick,  when  Founded 09 

Berwick,  Date  of  Founding  Questioned. . .   38 

Best,  Wrn.  dead '. 110 

Bird  James.  Hero  of  Lake  Eric 100 

Birkbeck,  Elizabeth  Johnson,  dead     . .    .  .116 

Bogert,  Joseph  K.  dead 90 

Boundary    between    Luzerne  and    Lacka- 
wanna settled 171 

Bowman,  Elizabeth  dead 57 

Bowman  Family.  Thomas 78 

Brant  Joseph.  Monument  Unveiled 41 

Bricks,    How    Made    in    Wilkes-Barre    60 

Years  Ago  and  Now 11 

Brown,  Joseph  dead 115 

Brown,  Mrs.  Julia  A.  dead 143 

Bross,  Hon.  Wm.  Writing  a   X.    K.   Penn- 
sylvania Novel 93 

Brule  Stephen,   First   White   Man   to  De- 
scend the  Susquehanna 20 

Burying  Ground  at  White  Haven 50 

Butler,  Abi  Slocum  dead 104 

Errata   160 

Butler,  Mrs.  Cornelia  dead 167 


Butler,  Win.  Mill 85 

Canton,  Conn.,  Local  History  of 82 

Carevtown  Road,  Named  Changed 121 

Century  of  Legal  Life ' 211 

Chandler  Genealogy 160 

Cleveland-Folsora   Genealogy 18 

Coal,  Price  of  in  1822 80 

Price  of  in  1 835 60 

Vegetable  Origin  of 4 

Formation  of 5 

Col.  Sam.  Hunter  on  the  Situation 72 

Cold  Summer  of  1816 107 

Commemorating  Wyoming  Massacre.  .  163,  156 

Connecticut  Title  Defended  in  1801 22 

Conrad,  Christian  dead 116 

Coon  Sausage  Dinner 52 

Cooper,  Rev.  Charles  D.  Reminiscences. .  .   4  0 

Coryell,  Martin  dead 75 

Cornerstone  laying  of   First  Presbyterian 

Church . 105 

County    Commissioners   and   their  Clerks 

from  1795 201 

Crockett,  James  Surveyor 56 

Dana.  Anderson  II.  dead 142 

Dancing  Schools  in  Wilkes-Barre,  50  years 

Ago,  (Wright) 147 

Davfs,' Wo.  S.  dead 118 

Davies,  W.  T.  Lieutenant-Governor 53 

Davison,  Elizabeth,  a  Massacre  Survivor.  .   05 

Dennis.  Capt.  John  dead 140 

Derr's  (H.  H.)  25th  Business  Anniversary.  1 18 
Descendentsof  Wilkes-Barre  Business  Men 

of  1  818  (W.  Johnson) 113 

Diary  of  Deacon  .John  Hurlbut 213. 

Dickson.  Rev.  H.  S.  dead 220 

Dilley,  B.  F 204 

Dorrance,  Col.  Charles  S2d  Birthday 82 

Dowling.  E.  F.  dead ". ISO 

Downing.  Mrs.  Laura  dead 183 

Drunkenness  Now  and  Then 105 

Duncan's  Island,  History  of 190 

Eagle  Shot ". 30 

Early  Days  in  Wayne  County 72 

Early  Lackawanna  (Hollister) 102 

Early  Navigation  on  Susquehanna,  (C.  E. 

Wright) 119 

Early  Susquehanna  Manuscripts     217 

Early  Susquehanna  Navigation 215 

Easton  in   1752 110 

Egle,  Dr.  W.  H.  Sketch  of 100 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/historicalrecordv1john 


Articles  bv 


17,  18.  20.  '2 -J. 


Klmira  Local  History 30 

Ely  Post's  Dead  .  . .' 158 

Emmons,  ••Paddy"  the  Veteran  Fisherman  2*20 

Engelke,  Henry  C.  dead 1 IC 

Eutcrline,  Edward  dead L39 

Enterline,  Mrs.  J.  II.  dead     222 

Federal  Constitution,  Volume  1 1  H 

Fell,  Mrs.  D.  A.  dead 220 

Finch  Family   Re-union 117 

First  Court  in  Luzerne  County 151 

First  Forty  of  Kingston 69 

Flight  from  Wyoming,  (Wilcox) L89 

Flour,  Price  of  "from  1785  to  J  828 07 

Footprints  of  Indians  in  Lackawanna  Val- 
ley, (Hollister) 119 

Fifty-fifth  Wedding  Anniversary  of  Charles 

Morgan    122 

Foster,  C.  W.  Poem  by,  "The  Pennsylvan- 
ia's  Lament" 81 

Fourth  of  July  in  1827 102 

Franklin,  John  incidents  in  the  life  of  ... .   67 

lndieted  in  1 787 179 

Frauenthal,  B.  dead 1 40 

Friendly  Indians  at  Wyoming  in  177  7.  .  .  .   99 
Fries,  Capt.  John  of  Bucks  County. .  129,    182 

Fugitives  from  the  Massacre.* 65,   ISO 

■Gennantown,  Battle  of 50 

Girls'  Names  a  Century  Ago 19;> 

Gleanings  from  Old  Newspapers  in  1811. .      1 

Good,  Anthony  dead 20 

Gorman.  Mrs.  Dr.  dead 83 

Grave  of  Capt.  Davis  and  Lieut.  Jones.  ...   0,s 

Gregory,  Geo.  dead 112 

Hakes  Genealogy 87 

Hardings,  A  Relic  of 1 96 

Harris,  Rev.  M.  W.  dead 210 

Hartman,  Mrs.  M.  L.  T.  History  of  Hunt- 
ington Valley   3,  12.   '37 

Hay,"  Charles  dead 1 03 

Hayden,  Rev.  H.  E.  on  Indian  Medals...      1 
Hawley,  Rev.  Bostwick,  Reminiscences.  .  .   28 

Hazleton's  Centenial 73 

Hill,  C.  F.  Articles  by 73.  90,  110,  155 

Hill  Family  Re-union 169 

Hillard  Genealogy 101 

Historical  Journal^  Initial  Number  ..13G,  214 

Historical  Publications 171 

Historic  Log  Chapel 3G 

"  Histoire  de  la  Pensvlvanie" 182 

Hodge,  Rev.  Dr.  A.  A.  dead 56 

Holcombe  Re-union 12 

Hollenbaek  Cemetery  Enlarged 170 

Hollenbaek  House  Demolished 30 

Hollister.  Dr.  H.  Articles  by 

45,  102,  140.  159,  207 

Hooper.  Rebecca   M.  dead 113 

Horton,  Dr.  Geo.  F.  dead 80 


llosmer,  Mrs.  Faith  0.  dead 210 

Hull,  A.  G.  dead 157 

Hunlock's  Creek,  Indian  Name  of 73 

Hurlbut,  Doacon  John 213 

Hurlbuts,  of  Wyoming,  Privations  of 7'*, 

Indian  Paint  Stones 24 

Indians,  Paper  Ivlited  and   Printed  by.  ...    70 
Indian  Belies  Found 

6,  12,  25,  15,  17.  9.7,  120.  1  19,  200 

Indian  Treaty  at  Wyoming,  in    1755    107 

Index  of  Government  Publications 80 

Ingham  House  Demolished 158 

Ireland,  Poem  on,  by  D.  Lewcrs 60 

Iron  Axes  Used  in  French  and  Indian  War  52 

Jacob  v,  Jacob  de-ad 210 

Jeffords,  A.  M.  dead 187 

Jenkins  Family  of  Rhode  Island 52 

Jenkins,  Steuben  Articles  bv 

22,  38,  69,"l21,  182,  197.  218 
Johnson,  Wesley  Articles  bv 

"  11,  48,  83, "113,  129,  177,  21.1 
Jones  Family  of  Bethlehem,  Re-union. . .  .131 
Journals  of  Sullivan's  Expedition,  Discuss- 
ions  Concerning 218 

July,  Extreme  Heat  of 17 6 

Kingston,  Original  Survey 60 

Lackaw'na  Institute  of  Hisioryand  Science  109 
Latitude  of  Wilkes-Barre,  as  Reckoned  from 

1755  to  1831,  (S.  Jenkins) 121 

LeClerc,  E.  K.  Poem  on  Wyoming 13 

Lehigh    University,    Collection   of   Indian 

Relies * 47 

Levan,  J.  W.  dead 142 

Liar,  of  the  Last  Century,  A 33 

Livingstone,  Mrs.  Isaac  dead 133 

Local  Taxes,  50  Years  Ago 178 

Loop.  W.  R.  Life  and  Death 62 

Loveland  Genealogy 121 

Lovveuburg,  David  dead   157 

Luzerne,  Chevalier  de  la 27 

Luzerne  County,  Centennial  Observance  of 
Erection,  26,  34:  Assessment.  174;  ex- 
penses, 170. 

Lynch,  John 54 

Madden,  John  S.  dead 117,  160 

Malum.  Dr.  J.  B.  Coroner .   56 

Marey.  John  S.  dead 140 

Marshall's,  Emanuel,  Speedy  Ancestor. . .  .216 

Masonic  Funeral  in   1 7  70 48 

Medals  Given  to  the  Indian? 2 

Meeting-House  Lottery ." . .     1 

Mennonites.  History  of 135 

Meredith,  Samuel  (Hollister) 207 

Meredith  Correspondence 146,  161,  207 

Meteoric  Shower  of  1833 132.  132.  198 

Meteorite,  Supposed 36 

Mctzger,  C.  B.  Sketch  of 203 

Military  Company  in  1182 211 


Minor,  Charles  Sketch  of 123,  212 

Miner,  Win.  P.  Articles  by 1."),  33 

Miuisink  Massacre OS 

Monument  for  Old  Michael 17  1 

Monroe,  Will  S.  Wyoming  Poetry [08 

Moravians  in  Wyoming  Valley 161 

Mutt,  Rev.  W,  K.  Sketch  of 180 

Muusou,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  dead 143 

Myers  House  Burned ITS 

MeAlpine,  Albert  dead 83 

MeCarraghcr,  Mrs.  K.  dead 220 

McCarthy,  Mrs.  Esther  dead 143 

McGinty,  J.  J.  Recorder 56 

MeGroarty,  Mrs.  Hugh 1'38 

McGroarty,  John  S.  Review  of  his  Poetry 

of  Wyoming  Valley    21 

Nanticoke  Presbyterian  Church  History..   51 
New  York  Currency  in  1754.  (Plumb).  . .  .160 
New  York  State  Report  of  Sullivan  Expe- 
dition   .' 1 44 

Newspaper  Clippings  of  50  Years  Ago. ...  GO 
Newspapers  in  Wilkes-Barre,  Early 

1.  15/27,  123,  212 

No  Fortunes  Awaiting  Claimants 52 

Norris,  A.Wilson,  Auditor  General,  Sketch 

of 54 

Objections  Against  Railroads  in  1825  .  .  .  .175 

Oldest  Printer  in  the  United  States 101 

Old  Buildings  Disappearing 122 

Old  Michael , 173 

Old-time  Masonic  Record 112 

Old-time  Military  Company.  17S2 211 

Old-time  Musical  Instrument 52 

Opelousa,  Lake.  Legend  of 178 

Origin  of  the  Union  League 1 20 

Osborne,  Gen.  F.  S : 54 

Oftterhout,  Elizabeth  Lee,  death  and  will.  .141 

Osterhout  Free  Library 03 

Package  of  Butler  Papers  Found 92 

Packard,  Susan  Breese  dead 83 

Paper  a  Century  Old 155 

Paper  Currency  of  1822 8G 

Parke,  Rev.  X.  G.  Anniversary  Sermon  .  .180 

Parke,  Rev.  X.  G.  Address  by 165 

Parsons,  Calvin  Golden  Wedding 1S7 

Pence,  Peter? ......  125,  175 

Pennsylvania  Germans 95 

Perry,  Mrs.  Ann  dead 137 

Pettebone,  Payne  Golden  Wedding 209 

Pettebone.  S.  Reminiscence  of 135 

Philadelphia  Ledger,  First  Issue  of 210 

Pioneer  Church  of  Lackawanna 153 

Pioneer  Physicians  of  Wyoming 97 

Pioneer  Privations 76 

Poetry  of  WTyoming 105 

Population  of  Wilkes-Barre 179.  20G 

Post-Oliices  in  Luzerne  County 35 

Postage  Rates  50  Years  Ago/. 130 


Plumb  Family  in  America 1\ 

Plumb,  H . B.  A  rticles  by  76. 1 3 1 . 1 37. 1 602 11.213 

Plumb,  i;.  H.  H.  Articles  by 2  1.  49,  61 

Pluukctt's  Expedition  Against  Wyoming. .   81 

Prehistoric  Burial  Ground 210 

Prohibition  Among  the  Indians  in  j7."».';  ..136 
Proposed  Exodus  from  Wvoming  in   1783.    27 

Pryor,  Mrs.  Eliza  dead.  . ." 185 

Public  Domain,  How  We  Acquired  It....    19 

Raub,  Mrs.  Moriah  dead 18 

Rare  History  of  Pennsylvania 182 

Recalling  a  Church  Building  Accident.  155,  162 

Redemptionists,  The 21 

Relic  of  Pioneer  Life  Uncovered 103 

Relics  of  Sullivan's  March 1 52 

Remarkable  Swarm  of  Flies 203 

Remembering  Wyoming's  Slain 156 

Re-union  of  1 13d  Regt.  P.  V 1 93 

Re-union  ol^  53d  Llegt.  P.  V 202 

Rice.  Jacob  Golden  Wedding 170 

Rice,  Rev.  J.  P.,  dead,  aged  81 2 

Rimer,  Geo.  W 204 

Riot.  Among  Canal  Constructionists  in  1828  133 

Ripple,  Isaac  dead 48 

Hoi >ins.  Klias  dead 1  39 

Roltinson.  Dr.  Silas  B.  (Hollistcr) 59 

Robinson,  T.  W.  dead 179 

Roderick.  Mrs.  Margaret  dead 113 

Ross,  James  dead 118 

Rout  of  the  Six  Xations 144 

Rutter.  Miss  Ellen  C.  dead 140 

Schools  in  Wiikes-Barrc  50  vears  ago. ...   61 

Sea  Coal .' ." 177 

Search,  H.  W.  Sheriff 55 

Seeley,  Mrs.  Anna,  dead .  .  120 

Sharpe.  Richard.  Reminiscence  of  1827  .  .134 

Shaver,  James  B.  dead 124 

Sheep  Raising  in  1S35 32 

Shoemaker,  R.  McD.  dead 59 

Shortest  Will  on  Record 212 

Slocum,  Frances.  Relies  of 14.  30 

Slocum,  Thomas  Truxton.  dead 156 

Smallest  Man  in  Pennsylvania 153 

Snowden,  Rev.  E.  H.  Reminiscences  of  ..199 

Snowden,  R.  R.  dead 59 

Solomon,  Joseph  a  frontier  hero 96 

Stella  of  Lackawanna's  Poems 159 

Stewart.  Lazarus  Genealogy 17 

Stewart.  Lee  W.  dead 15 

Stewart.  Thomas  J.   Secretarv  of  Internal 

Affairs 54 

Straw.  Cyrus  Sketch  of 203 

Stroud,  Rev.  Geo.  D.  dead 167 

Sturdevant.  Charles  dead 137 

Sturdevant.  L.  D.  dead 57 

Substrata  of  Wyoming  Coal  Measures.  .  .  .205 
Sullivan  Expedition  at  Wyoming.  McKen- 

dry's  Journal 37 


Sullivan  Road 50 

Susquehanna  County   Centennial 181 

Susquehanna,  Etymology  of 135 

Supplies  Famished  Soldiers,  1778.  (Plumb)  131 

Taverns  in  Old  Times 177 

Thayendanega,  not  at  Wyoming 11 

The  Local  Historian 89 

Theophilus,  Mrs.  Rachel 186 

Thomas.  Mrs.  Ellen,  Reminiseenees    1  2.'J 

Thompson,  Colonial  Secretary <J3 

Torrence,  Rev.  I.  II.  Sketch  of 138 

Tripp.  Ira  How  he  was  made  Colonel 1(> 

Turner,  Rev.  TV".  W.  dead 169 

Two  Lackawanna  Old  Residents 162 

Two  Preachers  of  Former  Times 180 

Two  Suicides,  Lcupp  and  Lee 217 

War  Prices  in  Confederacy 100 

Was  Benedict  Arnold  interested  inWvoming200 

Weller,  Mrs.  S.  S.  dead " .1 87 

Wells,  Wm.  S.  Golden  Wedding 134 

West  Branch  Local  History  . .". 109,  195 

Wilcox  Genealogical  Data  Wanted 119 

Wilcox,  W.  A.  Address 189 

Wildcat  Reminiscence 132 

Wilis  of  Ellen  C.  Rutter  and  Mrs.   Sarah 

Bennett 171 

Wilson,  H.  C.  Reminiscences 47 

Wilson,  Coi.  W.  P.  dead 6 

Wiliams,  Mrs.  Annetta  dead 157 

W  ilmot  Hon.  David  R 10 


Vale  of  Wyoming,  Poem  by  Juliana  Fran- 
ces  Turner 105 

Valuable  Newspaper  Relic 84 

Waeklcr,  Major  Jacob  ^U^] 219 

Wilkes-Barre  in  1812.  (IX  Yarington)  ...    130 

Wilkes-Barre  Business  Men  of  1818 87 

Wilkes-Barre  Fifty  Years  Ago,  (Snowden).199 
Wilkes-Barre  Present  Population. ..  .179,  20G 

Wilkes-Barre's  Presenl  Resources 80 

Wright's,  O.  E.  New  Book  "On  the  Lacka- 
wanna"    64 

Wright's,  C.  K.  Latest  Novel 1  04 

Wright,  C  K.  Articles  by '..  119,  14  7 

Wright,  Harrison  Memorial   Volume 67 

Wright,  J.  Ridgway 55 

Wright,  Mrs.  Nancy  X.  dead 184 

Wright,  8am  His  Oysters  ami  Beer.  . .  .33,  47 

Wroth,  John  dead 58 

Wood,  Sarah  Gore  dead   7  1 

Woodward,  John  K.  dead 185 

Worrall,  Geo.  dead 184 

Wyoming  Blues,  Early   Roster  of 79,  92 

Wyoming  Historical  and  Geological  Society 

Meetings 25,  71.  94,  148,  154.  166 

Wyoming   Monument,  Poem   by   Mrs.  Sig- 

ourney 129 

Wyoming  Pioneers  in  Binghamton 112 

Wyoming  Valley  Poetry,  (Monroe) 108 

Yarington,  Dihon  Letter   .  .  .  .84,  87.  107.  130 
Yarington,  D.  Oldest  Subscribe:  to  Wilkes- 
Barre  Papers 210 


CORRECTION  OF  ERRORS. 

Page  97.  The  Average  Price  of  Flour  in  Philadelphia  from  17S5  to  1S2S  is 
given  at  $17.42  per  hundred  pounds.     The  figures  should  be  $7. 42. 

Page  213.  Second  column,  line  18  for  barked,  read  backed.  Line  22,  bark 
lands  should  be  back  lands. 

Page  214.  First  column,  third  line,  Wednesday,  May  20,  should  be  26,  Friday 
below,  should  be  28th;  line  24  should  read  Decker's.      In  line  44  read  569  equals  686. 

Page  218.  Second  column,  line  14,  should  read  Mr.  Conover's  volume,  instead 
of  Mr.   Corwin's. 


The  Historical  Record 


A  MONTHLY    PUBLICATION 


DEVOTED    PRINCIPALLY    TO 


Zhe  ]£arl\>  1bistor\>  o!  Wyoming  H)alle\> 


AND  CONTIGUOUS  TERRITORY 


WITH 


NOTES  AND  QUERIES 

Biographical,  Antiquarian,  Genealogical 
Together  with   the  Marriages  and  Deaths  of  the  Present  Day 

in  Luzerne  County 

EDITED  BY  F.  C.  JOHNSON,  M.  D. 


?/#{    /  September   1886         S?°  / 


WILKES-BARRE,  PA. 

Egress  of  XTbe  mUftes*Barre  IRecorfc 

MDCCCLXXVI 


The   Historical  Record 

Published    Monthly 

Compiled  from  the   Wilkes-Barre  Record 

Subscription  : 
$1.50  Per  Year,  in  Advance,  Single  Copies  Fifteen  Cents. 
Address  all  Communications  to 

THE  RECORD, 

WILKES-BARRE,    PA. 


Vol.  I  SEPTEMBER.  1886.  No.  1 


Contents 

Page 

1.  Gleanings  from  Old  Newspapers  Published  in 

Wilkes-Barre,  1S11-1817 James   W.  Chapman. 

2.  Colonial  or  Provincial Dr.  W.   H.   Egle. 

Death  of  Pvev.  J.  P.  Rice 

Medals  Given  to  the  Indians,  a  brief  descrip- 
tion of  them Rev.  H.  E.   Hayden. 

3.  Early  Doctors -of  Huntington  Valley  .    .    .    .  Mrs.M.L.T.HARTMAN 

4.  The  Vegetable  Origin  of  Coal Prof.  L.  Lesouereux. 

5.  The  Formation  of  Coal M.  Grand'  Eurv. 

6.  Death  of  Col.  William  P.  Wilson 

Indian  Relics  Found 

7.  The  Berwick  Centennial,  Data  relating  to  the 

Town's  Settlement,  Celebration  of  the  event 

10.  ''Proviso"  Wilmot 

11.  Brick  Making  Sixty  Years  Ago  and  To-day  Wesley  Johnson. 

12.  Historical  Notes:  The  Holcombe  P'amily  Re- 

Union,  Bucks  County  Historical  Society,  etc. 

13.  Historical  Poem  on  Wyoming Edw'd  E.  Le  Clerc, 

14.  Alleged  Relics  of  Frances  Slocum 

15.  Early  Newspapers  in  Wilkes-Barre William  P.  Miner 

Death  of  L.  W.  Stewart 

16.  How  Ira  Tripp  Became  Colonel 

Marriages  and  Deaths 


XCbe  historical  IRecorb 


Vol.  I. 


septemb: 


1886. 


No. 


Kecollectioiis  of  James  IV.  Chapinau. 

The  Montrose  Republican  has  an  article 
rtignod  C,  which  stands  for  J.  W.  Chapman, 
father  of  Mrs.  S.  L.  Brown,  of  Wilkes  Barre, 
in  which  the  writer  quotes  from  a  recent  is- 
sue of  the  Kkcoijd  and  adds  some  interest- 
ing comments  of  his  own.  Mr.  Chapman 
tiius  corrects  an  inadvertence  v;hich  crept 
into  the  article: 

Tho  Wilkes-Barre  Kecobd  has  been  pub- 
lishing some  extracts  from  the  Gleaner, 
a  Wilkes-Barre  paper  published  in  1811. 
The  introduction  to  the  article  says, 
published  by  Asher  Miner  and  Steuben 
Butler;  but  1  think  it  must  have  been 
Charles  Miner  and  Butler,  as  I  know 
that  Charles  Miner,  the  founder  of  the 
Gleaner,  was  associated  with  Steuben  Butler 
in  publishing  for  some  time,  and  that  he 
sold  oat &the  Gleaner  establishment  as  early 
as  1816  or  before,  to  Isaac  A.  Chapman,  an 
uncle  of  mine;  for  I  was  there  attending 
school  during  the  winter  of  1816-17.  when 
the  paper  was  published  bv  him.  Charles 
Miner,  on  leaving  the  Gleaner,  went  into  the 
publication  of  a  paper  at  Doylesiown,  Bucks 
County,  with  his  brother  Asher,  I  believe, 
and  subsequently  established  The  Village 
Record  at  West  Chester,  which  he  made' a 
very  popular  newspaper.  Asher  Miuer  (and 
possibly  Mr.  Butler ),  was  engaged  in  pub- 
lishing a  paper  in  Wilkes-Barre  called  The 
Luzerne  Federalist,  still  earlier  than  the 
Gleaner. 

* 

''March  20.  The  Commissioners  of  the 
Willkes-Barre  Meeting  House  and  Bank 
Lottery  have  appointed  Thomas  Dyer,  Esq., 
treasurer  of  their  Board,  upon  whom  the 
holders  of  fortunate  tickets  may  call  for 
payment  of  prizes.  Ebenezer  Bowman, 
Lord  Sutler,  Mathew  Covell,  managers." 

Only  think — of  a  meeting  house,  now 
called  a  church,  to  be  built  from  the  avails 
of  a  lottery  !  tfut  such  was  the  fact.  The 
old  meeting  house  first  built  in  Wilkes-Barre 
on  the  Public  Square  where  now  stands  the 
Court  House — for  years  the  only  house 
of  worship  in  town,  having  a  very  high 
steeple,  occupied  alternately  by  the  Presby- 
terians and  the  Episcopalians,  and  finally  by 
the  Methodists,  was  originally  built  (in  part 
"I  least)  by  means  of  a  lottery!  I  was  aware 
of  that  fact  from  hearing  much  about  it  from 
my  parents—one  of  the  commissioners  con- 


cerned in  it,  Pelog  Tracy,  having  married 
my  mother's  sister;  and  another,  George 
Haines,  married  a  sister  of  my  father.  Won- 
der if  they  licensed  drinking  saloons  in  those 
days  for  means  to  build  churches? 
# 

"April  19.  Thomas  Parke  (Col.  129th 
Regiment  Pennsylvania  Militia)  calls  a 
meeting  of  t fie  commissioned  and  staff  offi- 
cers at  the  house  of  Joseph  Chapman,  Jr., 
m  Bridgewater,  armed  and  in  uniform,  as 
the  law  directs.'' 

Col.  Parke  was  well  known  as  one  of  tho 
early  settlers  of  that  period.  He  began  the 
farm  since  known  as  Parkevale,  near  Spring- 
ville,  and  was  one  of  the  County  Commis- 
sioners of  old  Luzerne  when  it  included  Sus- 
quehanna County.  He  was  the  father  of  the 
late  Benj.  Parke,  Esq..  and  was  a  gentleman 
of  very  dignified  bearing  as  a  military  offi- 
cer. As  was  the  custom  in  those  days,  he 
called  out  all  the  officers  of  the  regiment 
once  a  year  for  a  training  drill,  and  gener- 
ally at  my  father's  house  in  old  Bridgewater, 
now  Brooklyn. 

* 

"April  2H.  A  complete  workman  is  en- 
gaged to  finish  the  vessel  now  on  the  stocks 
in  this  port.  It  is  contemplated  to  have 
her  launched  and  fit  for  the  shareholders  to 
dine  in  on  the  4th  of  July.  Those  who  are 
in  arrears,  it  is  presumed,  will  pay  up  their 
shares  with  the  promptitude  which  their  en- 
gagements and  the  importance  of  the  under- 
taking demand.  As  no  mention  of  the  ves- 
sel is  made  in  the  report  of  the  Indepen- 
dence Day  celebration,  we  presume  tho  work 
was  not  completed  in  time."' 

I  think  this  must  refer  to  a  vessel  built 
about  that  period  at  Wilkes-Barre  mainly  by 
the  enterprise  of  a  prominent  business  man, 
then  well  known,  by  the  name  of  John  P. 
Arndt.  Elisha  Mack,  an  early  settler  from 
Lyme,  Conn.,  at  "Mack's  Comers,"  in 
Brooklyn, who  was  a  ship  carpenter  by  trade, 
was  employed  to  "boss"  the  job.  It  was  said 
to  be  nicely  done,  and  when  launched  into 
the  Susquehanna,  Capt.  Joseph  Chapman  Sr., 
who  after  being  an  officer  in  the  Revolution 
served  several  years  as  a  sea  captain  in  the 
West  India  trade,  was  chosen  to  "ehristen"  her 
as  it  was  called. with  a  bottle  of  wine,  calling 
her  the  "Experiment,"  if  I  remember  right- 
ly, intended  for  sale  (as  well  as  for  sail)  at 
Baltimore    or  some  other   place    down    the 


THE  HIST01UCAL  HKCORD. 


rivor— I  don't  know  whether  as  a  sloop  or  ;i 
schooner.  I  believe,  however,  it  proved  to 
bo  hii  unsuccessful  experiment  to  the  own- 
ers, as  I  think  sho  was  wrecked  before  ever 
reaching  h^r  destination.  If  J  am  mistaken 
in  this  or  any  other  statement  of  early  events, 
I  hope  some  antiquarian  of  earlier  years  or 
better  posted  than  J  am  may  volunteer  to 
correct  me.  o. 

Montroso,  July  11,  '86. 


Colonial  or  Provincial.. 

Many  of  our  writers,  especially  newspaper 
historians,  use  the  term  colonial  to  the  events 
in  Pennsylvania  under  the  proprietary  gov- 
ernment. Prior  to  the  purchase  by  William 
Penn,  it  was  the  Colony  on  the  Delaware, 
afterwards  the  Province  of  Pennsylvania. 
Now  Jersey,  Maryland  and  Pennsylvania 
wero  provinces,  while  Massachusetts,  New 
York,  Virginia  and  others  were  always 
colonies  until  they  declared  their  indepen- 
dence. The  governor  of  a  colony  was  ap- 
pointed by  the  Crown — those  of  the  province 
by  the  proprietary.  Perchance  the  use  of 
this  term  colonial  as  to  Pennsylvania  arose 
from  the  fact  that  Mr.  Hazard,  who  edited 
them,  misnamed  our  Provincial  Records, 
Colonial  Records.  He  ought  to  have  known 
better. — Dr.  W.  Trl.Egle.in  Hamsburg  Tele- 
graph.  

An   Aged  Preacher's  Burial. 

The  funeral  of  Rev.  J.  P.  Rice  was  held 
at  Trucksville  July  30,  at  2  pm.,  the  re- 
mains arriving  at  Kingston  from  Hunlock's 
Creek  on  the  12:40  pm.  D.,  L.  &  W.  train. 
Rev.  A.  Griffin,  of  the  Kingston  M.  E. 
Church  officiated,  and  preached  a  sermon 
from  the  words  found  in  Job  5,  26  :  "  Thou 
shalt  come  to  thy  grave  in  a  full  age,  like  as 
a  shock  of  corn  cometh  in  in  his  season." 
There  was  a  very  large  attendance  of  rela- 
tives and  friends  of  the  deceased.  Among 
the  relatives  being  his  aged  wife  :  a  brother, 
Rev.  C.  L.  Rice,  of  the  Wyoming  Con- 
ference, and  stationed  at  North  Fenton, 
Binghamton  District  ;  Dr.  Rogers  and  wife 
(Mrs.  Rogers  being  a  sister;  of  Huntsville; 
his  three  sons,  Levi  Rice,  of  Lehman , 
William,  of  Harvey's  Lake  and  Ly- 
man, of  Dallas  ;  also,  a  step -daughter, 
Mrs.  Harrison  Steele,  of  Shelby,  Ohio,  and  a 
stepson,  Jacob  Rice,  with  his  wife,  from 
Hunlock's  Creek,  with  whom  Mr.  Rice  and 
his  wife  wore  living  at  the  time  of  his  death. 
Mrs.  George  Cook,  of  Three  Rivers,  Mich.., 
a  daughter  of  the  deceased,  was  not  able  to 
be  present.  Judge  James  Phoenix  and  wife, 
of  Beaumont,  were  also  present.  Mrs. 
Phoenix  is  a  sister  of  the  deceased.  Inter- 
ment was  made  in  the  cemetery  at  Trucks- 
ville. 

Mr.  Rice  was  born  in  Knowlton  Township, 
N.  J.,  Aug.  22,  1805.  He  was  the  son  of  Rev. 


Jacob  Rice,  lie  came  to  Trucksville  m  May, 
1814.  He  was  fur  many  years  a  class  leader, 
exhorter  and  local  preacher  in  tho  M.  K. 
Church,  lie  was  possessed  of  many  sterling 
qualities  and  leaves  behind  hiin  a  good  name, 
which  "is  rather  to  be  chosen  than  great 
riches." 

MEDALS  (I1VKN  TO  THE  INDIANS. 

Brief  Description  of  Five  Historical  Med- 
als in  tho  Possession  of  tho  Wyoming 
Historical  Society — Also  of  One  Which 
Ought  to  be,  But  is  Not 

At  the  fall  meeting  of  the  Wyoming  His- 
torical and  Geological  Society,  Rev.  Horace 
Edwin  Hayden,  of  t\vs  city,  read  a  paper 
on  the  various  silver  and  copper  medals 
presented  to  the  American  Indians  by  tho 
sovereigns  of  England,  France  and  Spain, 
from  1CJ00  to  1800  and  especially  of  five 
such  medals  of  George  L,  of  Great 
Britain,  now  in  the  possession  of  the  Wyom- 
ing Historical  and  Geological  Society  and 
its  members.  The  same  now  appears  in 
pamphlet  form,  also  in  the  second  volumo  of 
the  published  proceedings  of  the  society. 
The  paper  is  a  most  interesting  one,  tracing 
briefly  the  American  discovery  and  the  sub- 
sequent treatment  by  the  whites  of  the  abo- 
riginal inhabitants,  particularly  in  the 
bestowal  of  medallic  tributes,  and  other 
presents.  France  and  England  early  vied 
with  each  other  in  thus  seeking  to  attach- 
ment of  the  Indians.  We  have  space  for 
only  a  portion  of  the  description  of  tho 
Wyoming  medals.  For  a  more  satisfactory 
idea  of  the  subject  the  reader  is  referred  to 
Mr.  Hayden's  valuable  pamphlet.  We  quote 
and  condense  a  few  paragraphs: 

The  Indian  medals  of  George  I.  are  the  first 
that  bear  any  especial  reference  to  the  pe- 
culiar life  and  pursuits  of  the  Indians.  Each 
of  the  tour  medals  which  I  here  present  for 
your  examination,  contains  on  the  obverse 
tho  bust  of  George  I.,  and  on  the  reverse, 
the  device  of  an  Indian  hunting  the  deer. 
Two  of  these  medals  have  a  historic  connec- 
tion that  is  interesting. 

Those  which  belong  to  my  own  cab- 
inet were  discovered  about  1858,  in  the 
bank  of  the  Ohio  River,  at  Point  Pleasant, 
West  Virginia,  on  the  spot  where  the  bloody 
and  stubborn  battle  of  Point  Pleasant  was 
fought,  in  1774,  between  the  colonists,  un- 
der General  Andrew  Lewis,  and  the  com- 
bined Indian  tribes,  under  Logan,  Corn- 
stalk and  Outacite  :  a  battle  which  begin 
one-half  an  hour  before  sunrise,  October 
10,  1774,  and  continued,  almost  without 
cessation,  until  sunset  the  same  day.  It  is 
more  than  probable  that  these  two  medals 
were  worn  by  Indian  chiefs  on  that  day, 
and  were  lost  in  the  conflict  or  in  the  flight. 
They  were  presented  to   me   by  the  late  Dr. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Samuel  Glover  Shaw,  of  Point  Pleasant, 
from  his  very  rich  collection  ol*  pre-bistoric 
and  Indian  remains.  In  describing  these 
five  medals,  i  will  begin  with  that  one  be- 
longing to  the  society: 

J.  Wyoming  Medal— Obverse,  military  bust 
of  George  1.  Legend  "George  King  of 
Great  Britain."  Reverse,  under  a  tree  to 
the  left  stands  a  deer  on  a  hill.  To  the 
right,  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  stands  an  In- 
dian, with  a  bow  drawn,  and  in  the  act  of 
shooting  the  deer  ;  over  all,  the  sun  with 
his  rays.     Size,  25-16. 

This  medal  was  included  in  the  Chambers 
Collection,  which  was  purchased  and  pre- 
sented to  the  society  in  1858,  thus  forming 
the  nucleus  of  the  the  valuable  collections 
now  owned  by  this  society.  The  medal  is 
described  in  Mr.  Chambers'  catalogue  as 
"  one  of  the  medals  presented  by  George  1. 
to  the  chiefsof  the  Six  Nations  in  1716.'-'  As 
there  was  no  conference  with  the  Indians  by 
any  of  the  colonies  of  Great  Britain  in  1716, 
Chambers'  conclusions  are  merely  conjec- 
tural. It  may  have  been  presented  at  the 
conference  of  the  Governor  of  New  York 
and  the  Six  Nations  in  1715  or  1717,  but  in 
the  very  full  account  of  those  conferences 
no  reference  whatever  is  made  to  this  or 
any  other  medal.  Where  Mr.  C.  procured 
this  medal  and  what  its  local  history.  I  can- 
not ascertain ;  but  the  above  account  of  it 
disposes  of  the  impression  which  somehow 
has  prevailed,  that  it  was  the  copy  referred 
to  by  Mr.  Miner,  or  had  been  received  by 
this  society  from  the  Historical  Society  of 
Pennsylvania. 

2.  Point  Pleasant  Medal— Obverse,  mili- 
tary bust  of  George  I.,  draped  and  laureated, 
facing  right,  and  2-16  larger  than  the  head 
of  No.  1.  Legend  the  same  -as  No.  1, 
"  George  King  of  Great  Britain."  Reverse, 
same  as  No.  1.  except  that  the  hill  is  higher, 
the  tree  shorter  and  the  Indian  larger. 
Brass.    Size  26. 

3.  Point  Pleasant  Medal— Obverse,  mili- 
tary bust  of  George  I.,  facing  left,  and 
laureated.  Legend  "Georgius.— Mag.  Br. 
Fra.  et  Hit.  Rex."  Reverse,  under  a  tree  to 
the  right,  which  follows  the  curve  of  the 
planchet,  an  Indian  is  standing  in  the  pos- 
ture of  one  about  to  run.  He  holds  in  his 
hand  a  bow  from  which  the  arrow  has  been 
discharged.  To  the  left,  under  a  second  tree 
which  tollows  the  left  curve  of  the  planchet, 
is  a  deer  running  at  full  speed.  Between  the 
Indian  and  the  deer  stands  a  bush  at  the  foot 
of  which  lies  what  appears  to  be  a  dead 
deer.  There  is  no  sun  on  the  medal.  Plan- 
chet very  thin.     Brass.     Looped.     Size  16. 

4.  Stearns  Medal.— Copper.  Almost  identi- 
cal with  2So.  2.  Size  26.  In  possession  of 
Master  Denison  Stearns. 

5.  Jenkins  Medal.— Obverse,  military  bust 
of  George  I.    The  hair  does  not  fall  over  the 


back  in  a  queue  but  is  confined  closely  by  the 
fillet,  which  in  composed  of  12  leaves,  and  is 
much  smaller  than  the  others.  The  legend, 
George  King  of  Great  Britain,  extends  over 
7,  of  the  circumference,  while  in  the  other  it 
is  only  about  %.  Reverse,  The  sun;  a  very 
large  Indian  to  the  right  throwing  a  javelin 
at  a  very  small  deer,  which  stands  to  the  left 
at  an  angle  of  forty  degrees  from  the  Indian. 
Copper.  Very  thick.  Size  21.  This  medal, 
now  in  the  possession  of  Hon.  Steuben  Jen- 
kins of  Wyoming,  Pa.,  was  found  on  the 
banks  of  the  Susquehanna  at  Sunbury,  by 
Mr.  J.  H.  Jenkins. 

A  copy  of  No.  2  is  known  to  be  in  the  His- 
torical Society  of  Pennsylvania.  It  is  de- 
scribed in  Miner's  History  of  Wyoming,  p. 
27,  and  is  represented  there  by  an  engrav- 
ing. It  will  be  recognized  as  a  duplicate  of 
No.  2.  Mr.  Miner  gives  this  account  of  its 
discovery:  After  a  general  description  of  the 
remains  of  ancient  fortifications  in  the  Wyo- 
ming Valley,  he  refers  to  one  "on  Jacobs' 
Plains,  or  the  upper  flats  in  Wilkes-Barre:" 
gives  a  detailed  account  of  its  appearance, 
and  continues,  "in  1614  I  visited  this  forti- 
n" cation  in  company  with  the  present  Chief 
Justice  Gibson  and  Jacob  Cist,  Esq.  The 
whole  line,  although  it  had  been  ploughed 
for  more  than  thirty  years,  was  then  dis- 
tinctly traceable  by  the  eye.  Fortune  was 
unexpectedly  propitious  to  our  search,  for 
we  found  a  medal  bearing  on  one  side  the 
impress  of  King  George  the  First,  dated 
1714  (the  year  he  commenced  his  reign.)  on 
the  other  an  Indian  Chief.  It  was  awarded 
to  Mr.  Cist,  as  the  most  curious  and  careful 
in  such  matters,  and  by  him  was  deposited 
with  the  Philadelphia  Historical  Society." 
Mr.  Miner  adds,  in  a  note,  "Should  it  not  be 
placed  with  the  Indian  relics  in  a  museum  to 
be  formed  in  Wilkes-Barre  '/"  I  courteously 
commend  this  suggestion  to  the  Historical 
Society  of  Pennsylvania.  I  think  Mr.  Miner 
must  be  in  error  as  to  the  date,  as  none  ap- 
pears on  the  engravings  of  the  medal,  and 
none  appears  on  any  of  the  four  medals  just 
described.  Other  copies  of  this  medal  have 
been  discovered  in  the  State  of  Pennsylva- 
nia, but  I  have  had  no  time  to  ascertain  their 
present  whereabouts. 

Early  Doctors  of  Huntington  Valley. 

Dr.  Charles  E.  Gaylord  was  probably  the 
first  permanently  settled  physician  in  Hunt- 
ington Valley.  His  family  were  among  the 
rirst  settlers  of  the  Susquehanna  Co.  His 
father  died  in  the  Revolutionary  War  and  his 
brother,  Lieut.  Asher  Gaylord,  fell  in  the 
massacre  at  Wyoming.  The  doctor  settled 
in  Huntington  soon  after  the  cessation  of 
Indian  hostilities.  His  only  child  was  Hender- 
son Gaylord,  who  afterwards  was  made  weal- 
thy by  the  coal  deposits  on  his  land. 

The  next  physician  was  Dr.   Crystal,  who 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


came  soon  after  1800.  His  wife  was  a  Miss 
Stookey,  of  Salem. 

Dr.  Griswold  afterwards  located  near  Town 
Hill,  arid  practiced  about.  '20  years.  Dr.  John 
Weston  practiced  awhile  as  the  successor  of 
Dr.  Gaylord,  but  moved  to  the  State  of  New 
York  where  his  children  yet  reside. 

These  early  physicians  were  succeeded  by 
Drs.  Pickering,  Jones,  Davenport,  Crawford, 
Hayden  and  others,  who  each  resided  in 
Huntington  some  years,  then  sought  loca- 
tions elsewhere. 

Dr.  Sidney  H.  Warner  located  in  Hunting- 
ton in  1833  and  practiced  nearly  half  a  cen- 
tury. Onedaughter  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  Clin- 
ton Bacon,  of  Huntington  and  a  son,  Dr. 
John  Nelson  Warner,  is  practicing  dentistry 
in  Wilkes-Barre,  the  mother,  nee  Cornelia 
Machette,  of  Philadelphia,  making  her  home 
with  the  latter.  Dr.  Warner  almost  literally 
tsood  head  and  shoulders  over  his  followers, 
physically  and  mentally. 

A  few  years  after  Dr.  Warner  came  Dr. 
William  Barrett,  who  practiced  at  Cambra  a 
score  of  years.  Originally  from  Gettysburg, 
he  hastened  thither  after  the  battle  and 
bravely  assisted  in  the  care  of  the  sick  and 
wounded. 

Dr.  Mason  Crary  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  and  the  first  physician  of  Salem 
Township.  He  was  a  native  of  Stonington, 
Conn. 

In  1846  Dr.  L.  C.  White  located  in  Shick- 
shinny  and  practiced  several  years.  The  fol- 
lowing year  he  was  joined  by  his 
brother-in-law,  Dr.  Charles  Parker. 
The  latter  practiced  here  until  his  death,  at 
the  age  of  about  80,  Dr.  White  removing  to 
Mississippi. 

Dr.  William  D.  Hamilton  has  practiced  in 
Shickshinny  more  than  "25  years.  Later 
comers  are  Drs.  Kamerly,  Dodson.  Chapin, 
Rogers,  Harrison,  Kingsbury,  Betterly,  Snt 
liff,  Santee,  Harvey.  Bonharn,  Bacon,  Hice, 
Boston,  Lockhart  and  Davidson. 

For  details  the  reader  is  referred  to  Mrs. 
M.  L.  Hartman's  historical  artical  in  the 
Shickshinny  Echo  of  July  *23,  1886,  from 
which  these  facts  are  taken. 


The  Vegetable  Origin  of   Coal. 

Prof.  Leo.  Lesquereux,  Fossil  Botanist 
of  the  Geological  Survey  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  well-known  in  Wilkes- 
Barre,  by  reason  of  his  vi-it 
to  the  collection  of  the  Wyoming  His- 
torical and  Geological  Society,  is  writing  a 
series  of  articles  going  to  favor  the  origin  of 
anthracite  coal.  He  takes  up  several  objec- 
tions to  this  theory  and  then  answers  them. 
We  quote: 

First  Objection.— The  vegetable  remains 
found  in  and  upon  the  shale  of  coal  beds  do 
not  prove  that  the  coal  itself  is  a  compound 


of  plaids.  The  preserved  remains  may  have 
been  deposited  and  indeed  have  been  de- 
posited in  the  shale  after  the  formation  of 
the  coal.  Therefore  leave.-,  branches,  frag- 
ments of  plants  of  diverse  nature,  like  pieces 
of  bark,  etc.,  found  now  in  connection  with 
coal  beds,  may  have  been  carried  by  atmos- 
pheric disturbances,  storms,  etc.,  and  strewn 
upon  layers  of  bituminous  matter,  like  the 
lakes  of  bitumen  observed  in  the  vicinity  of 
some  volcanoes.  The  plant-,  therefore,  may 
be  totally  foreign  to  the  composition  of  Die 
coal. 

Answer  1. — In  examining  seams  of  coal 
covered  by  shale-bearing  plants,  one  sees 
that  the  roof  shales  become  gradually  more 
bituminous  in  approaching  the  line  of  con- 
nection with  the  coal;  and  that  even  where 
they  have  become  quite  black,  or  half  shale 
and  half  coal,  the  remains  of  the  plants  are 
still  recognized,  losing  their  forms  only 
tfhen  the  matter  is  entirely  decomposed  or 
reduced  to  hard  coal.  But  even  then,  in 
some  coal  beds,  the  thin  layers  of  nearly 
pellucid  very  hard  bituminous  matter  are 
separated  by  their  lamella-  of  charcoal,  evi- 
dently woody  matter.  Leaflets  of  ferns,  and 
pieces  of  bark  with  their  peculiar  leaf-sears, 
are  often  printed  with  a  perfect  preservation 
of  their  forms  and  of  their  nervation,  easily 
distinguishable  witli  the  eye. 

Answer  2. — In  some  coal  beds  of  cannel, 
or  very  bituminous  coal,  fragments  of  plants 
of  divers  size,  trunks  of  trees,  branches  of 
fern,  especially  small  seeds,  spores  (the 
seeds  of  Lycopodiacfe)  are  found,  sometimes 
in  great  abundance.  Species  of  coal  in 
England  have  been  found  composed  of 
spores  in  such  profusion  that  some  authors 
have  hazarded  the  opinion  that  coal  has  been 
entirely  formed  of  spores.  In  the  cannel 
coal,  the  most  compact  coal  of  which  the 
matter  has  been  »o  thoroughly  decomposed 
that  the  fracture  of  the  substance  i>  as 
smooth  as  that  of  black  marble,  for  example 
in  the  Breckinri.lge  coat  of  Kentucky,  one 
finds  large  stems,  stignuiria,  fepidodendron, 
etc.,  whose  forms  are  perfectly  preserved  as 
sulphide  of  iron  or  Dyrites.  At  Cannelton, 
the  bed  of  coal  also  cannel,  rests  upon  a 
layer  of  less  thoroughly  decomposed  matter, 
but  still  coal,  wherefrom  the  remains  of  250 
species  of  plants  have  been  obtained  and 
described. 

Objection  continued.— But  the  objector 
may  say,  bitumen  either  deposited  by  and 
from  the  atmosphere  or  by  the  eruption  of 
volcanoes,  maj  have  been  distributed  upon 
forests  or  upon  land  covered  with  a  varied 
vegetation:  and  of  course  the  remains  of 
plants  might  thus  be  found  at  the  base  of 
the  bituminous  deposits,  or  piece-  of  wood, 
branches,  trunks,  large  fragments  of  bark, 
may  have  been  thrown  from  the  borders 
during  the  process  of  accumulation  of  the 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


matter  without  having  contributed  in  any 
essential  manner  to  the  composition  of  the 
combustible. 

Answer  3.— Now  we  have  for  answering 
the  preceding  objection  a  kind  of  evidence 
concerning  trie  true  nature  of  coal  to  which 
it  seems  that  no  contradiction  can  be  reason- 
ably offered.  By  the  work  of  the  lapidary  it 
is  possible  to  obtain  lamellae  of  coal  thin 
enough  to  be  rendered  nearly  translucent. 
On  subjecting  these  lamella-  to  the  mi- 
croscope, one  may  easily  see  the  matter  of 
the  coal  to  bo  composed  of  mere  fragments 
of  vegetables,  though  they  may  be  deformed 
by  compression  and  decomposition,  lie- 
searches  of  this  kind  have  been  for  some 
time  actively  pursued,  and  have  moved  that 
a  piece  of  coal  taken  from  any  part  of  a  coal 
seam,  either  in  vertical  or  horizontal  direc- 
tion, is  entirely  made  up  of  very  small  frag- 
ments of  plants  mixed  of  course  with  an 
amount  of  bitumen  such  as  necessarily  re- 
sults front  the  decomposition  of  plants. 
Researches  on  this  subject  have  been  pur- 
sued in  Germany,  by  Gumbel:  in  France,  by 
Renault:  in  England,  by  Williamson,  Car- 
ruther,  Wethered;  in  Switzerland,  by  Fruh: 
in  North  America,  by  Dawson.  All  have 
arrived  at  the  same  conclusion,  that  the 
coal  is  entirely  composed  of  vegetable  re- 
mains. 

It  cannot  be  said  against  these  revelations 
of  structure  made  by  the  microscope  that 
the  so-called  carbonized  vegetable  tissues 
may  not  be  plants;  for  the  celebrated  anat- 
omist Renault,  of  the  museum  of  Paris,  re- 
marks as  others  have  noticed  before  him, 
that  in  a  great  number  of  oases,  the  remains 
of  the  plants  which  composes  the  coal,  al- 
though deformed  by  maceration,  still  show 
recognizable  organic  structures,  and  may  be 
identified  as  plants  of  the  same  species  as 
those  which  are  found  in  fragments  siltcitied 
or  in  the  roof  shale,  where  they  have  been 
protected  against  deformation  by  being  em- 
bedded in  clay,  iron,  sand,  etc. 

The  thin  layers  of  hydrocarbon  are  pro- 
duced of  course  by  the  decomposition  of  the 
vegetable  tissue  and  by  compression.  They 
are  rarely  pure  but  generally  mixed  with 
spores  or  pieces  of  cellular  tissue,  isolated 
cells,  etc. 

To  the  evidence  thus  obtained  directly  by 
the  eyesight  of  observers  may  be  added  the 
no  less  direct  evidence  of  chemical  analysis. 
The  proportion  of  ashes  remaining  after 
combustion  of  coal  is  on  an  average  the 
same  as  that  of  various  species  of  wood.  If 
there  is  a  little  surplus  in  the  proportion  it 
is  easily  accounted  for,  as  caused  by  the  in- 
troduction into  the  original  mass  of  that 
dust  of  mineral  matter  reduced  to  powder 
always  earned  by  the  wind. 

And,  in  regard  to  the  constituents  of  the 
coal,  chemistry  acknowledges  that  they  must 


positively  be  a  result  of  the  slow,  gradual 
and  long-continued  decomposition  of 
vegetable  matter,  protected  from  the  free 
access  of  the  air  and  its  burning  element 
oxygen.  The  process  of  this  peculiar  de- 
composition has  been  followed  from  its 
beginning  in  peat,  to  its  first  more  advanced 
stages  in  the  lignite  of  the  glacial  era  ;  in 
which  latter  form  the  branches  and  trunks 
of  trees  have  already  become  softened  to 
the  consistence  of  soap  without  losing  their 
color  :  then,  to  the  next  stage  of  miocene 
lignite,  in  which  the  wood,  still  soft,  is  al- 
ready quite  black  ;  then,  to  lower  tertiary  or 
upper  cretaceous  coal,  where  the  vegetable 
matter  is  hard  and  contact  like  coal,  but 
easily  disaggregated  by  atmospheric  action  ; 
then,  to  coal  of  the  carboniferous  period  ; 
and  finally  to  the  conditions  of  anthracite. 
The  whole  series  forms  an  unbroken  chain 
of  successive  modifications,  which  not  only 
can  be,  but  has  been  carefully  studied  and 
recorded  as  one  of  the  most  interesting 
pages  of  the  secret  work  of  nature. 


The  Formation  of  Coal. 

The  Rkcoko  has  already  given  some  of  the 
arguments  of  Prof.  Leo  Lesquereux,  fossil 
botanist  of  Pennsylvania,  to  sustain  the 
theory  that  anthracite  coal  is  of  vegetable 
origin.  A  French  paper — the  Bulletin  de  la 
Ceramique — now  publishes  a  singular  and 
entirely  different  theory  in  which  M.  de 
Grand'  Eury  argues  that  forest  vegetation 
had  nothing  to  do  with  coal  formation. 
Buffon  having  indicated  the  fact  that  coal 
deposits  are  situated  in  places  which  at  one 
time  were  covered  with  water.  M.  de  Grand' 
Eury  argues  that  the  water  of  such  seas  or 
lakes  was  heated  by  the  earth's  caloric  pro- 
perties and  by  the  sun.  The  atmosphere 
being  charged  with  carbonic  acid,  there  was 
in  these  waters  an  enormous  production  of 
inferior  vegetation  which  absorbed  the  car- 
bonic acid  of  the  air,  and  became  decom- 
posed either  by  the  wrant  of  water  or  of  pxy- 
gen.  A  sort  of  vegetable  jelly  will  thus  have 
been  formed  which,  gradually  losing  its 
humidity,  transformed  its  carbon  into  ulmic 
hydra-carburetted  substances;  to  become 
successively  transformed  into  asphalte,  pe- 
troleum, naptha,  earth  pitch,  bitumen,  and 
finally  coal. 

This  principle  is  opposed  to  the  idea  that 
large  trees  and  shrubs  produced  coal,  and 
in  further  support  of  this  theory  it  is  stated 
that  the  carboniferous  ilora  consisted  of 
plants  deficient  in  substance  necessary  for 
producing  eoai,  the  investigations  of  M. 
Gaston  de  Saporta  on  this  point  indicating 
that  this  vegetation  consisted  of  a  relatively 
thin  circle  of  wood  and  a  large  quantity  of  a 
softer  substance.  Brogniart  and  Elie  de 
Beaumont  attribute  the  foundation  of  coal 
to  the  transformation  of  the  close  herbaceous 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


vegetation    which    surrounded     the     larger 

forest  trees  and  plants.  Similar  opinions 
have  been  expressed  by  M.  Ponchet  and 
oilier  savans,  so  thatM.  Grand'    Eury  has 

more  or  less  eminent  authorities  tor  his 
statement,  that  a  calculation  of  accumula- 
tion of  trees,  etc.,  necessary  for  the  conver- 
sion into  even  a  thin  coal  bed.  a  forest  sud- 
denl>  buried  underwater  or  gradually  letting 
its  residue  gather  on  the  ground,  leads  to 
an  evidently  erroneous  result;  so  greatly  is 
it  necessary  to  exaggerate  either  the  mass  of 
vegetable  matter  or  the  duration  of  the  pro- 
cess of  coal  formation. 

M.  Grand'  Eury  believes  that  coal  was  at 
one  time  liquid,  and  gradually  assumed  a 
solid  shape.  He  considers  that  coal  beds 
were  formerly  beds  of  naptha  and  bitumin- 
ous petroleum,  produced  by  the  decomposi- 
tion of  inferior  aquatic  vegetation,  under 
the  influence  of  heat  and  dampness.  As  a 
proof  of  this  assertion,  he  quotes  the  fact 
that  the  porous  minerals  found  at  the  bot- 
tom of  coal  pits  are  impregnated  in  their 
pores  with  naptha  and  petroleum.  This  is 
immediately  detected  by  their  odor  and  it  is 
therofore  argued  that  this  naptha  could  only 
haye  been  absorbed  during  the  first  state  of 
coal  formation.  It  is  further  remarked  that 
this  theory  serves  to  explain  the  formation 
of  petroleum,  asphalie  and  other  bituminous 
springs,  which  are  found  at  various  depths 
and  even  at  the  bottom  of  some  lakes. 

In  further  defense  of  the  hypothesis  that 
coal  was  once  in  a  liquid  state,  it  is  urged 
that  cannel  coal  lights  in  the  same  way  as 
resin,  and  can  be  used  like  a  torch  or  flam- 
beau. Another  proof  is  the  fact  that  the 
lighter  substances  (turfs,  lignites,  etc.),  are 
on  the  top.  Various  proofs  are  furnished  by 
the  absence  of  similarity  between  the  ashes 
of  wood  and  coal,  that  the  two  substances 
are  not  so  closely  connected  as  has  been 
thought  to  be  the  case. 

The  presence  of  fossil  imprints  or  plants 
is  explained  by  the  fact  that  these  imprints 
are 'in  the  earthy  and  schi.-tous  portions  of 
the  mines,  and  not  in  the  coal  itself.  The 
trunks  of  trees  which  are  sometimes  found 
are  not  coal,  properly  so  called,  and  retain 
certain  properties  of  wood.  The  waters  in 
which  there  grew  the  vegetable  substances 
contained  (like  such  waters  of  the  present 
time)  carbonate  of  lime,  carbonate  of  iron, 
and  alum.  Hence  the  presence  of  these 
salts  in  certain  kinds  of  coal  is  explained. 

These  interesting  fact-  quoted  by  M.  Paul 
Noel  are  possibly  not  altogether  new,  but  in 
any  case  deserve  attention  from  the  methodi- 
cal and  careful  manner  in  which  they  are 
presented  b\  him.  Ideas  of  a  more  or  less 
novel  kind  have  from  tune  to  time  been  put 
forward  by  French  writers  with  regard  to 
this  subject.  M.  Gennete  asserted  that  coal 
is  produced  from  a  certain  sand}  earth  which 


he  names  agas,  while  M.  de  Gonsanne  re- 
gards it  as  clay  mixed  with  sufficient  bitumen 
and  sulphur  to  render  it  combustible.  In 
further  illustration  of  his  theory,  he  quotes 
the  fact  that  none  of  the  ligneous  products 
with  which  we  are  acquainted  can,  strictly 
speaking,  be  called  coal;  referring  specially 
to  lignites,  etc. 

A  former  Wilkes- Barrean's  Death. 

Col.  William  P.  Wilson,  formerly  of  this 
city,  died  at  Warm  Springs,  Va.,  a  short 
time  ago,  his  demise  being  caused  by  heart 
disease  superinduced  by  rheumatism,  con- 
tracted while  serving  in  the  Rebellion.  Col. 
Wilson  was  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in 
this  city  in  1870-1,  in  partnership  with  P.  M. 
Barber,  they  having  a  tine  establishment  in 
Music  Hall  block,  and  another  on  Public 
Square  in  the  store  room  lately  vacated  by 
C.  B.  Metzger,  Col.  Wilson's  wife  is  a  sis- 
ter of  Allan  H.  Dickson  Esq.  He  was  an 
aid  in  Gen.  Hancock's  staff  during  the  war, 
and  for  five  years  subsequently.  Col.  Wil- 
son was  a  brave  soldier,  an  honorable  bus- 
iness man  and  an  upright  citizen. 

The  following  is  taken  fromKulp's  Famil- 
ies of  Wyoming: 

Rev.  H  S.  Dickson  had  four  children,  the 
youngest,  Allan  Hamilton  Dickson,  Esq.,  of 
Wilkes- Barre,  another,  Ellen,  who  married 
Col.  W.  P.  Wilson,  of  Potter's  Mills,  Centre 
County,  Pa.  Col.  Wilson  was  a  grandson  of 
Hugh  Wilson,  who  was  one  of  the  founders 
of  the  Irish  settlement  at  Bath,  Northampton 
County,  Pa.,  and  a  son  of  Dr.  William  Irvine 
Wilson,  whose  wonderful  energy,  courage 
and  devotion  in  the  practice  of  medicine 
throughout  Penu's  Valley  during  its  early 
history,  and  whose  cheerful  and  profuse  hos- 
pitality at  his  home,  at  Potter's  Mills,  made 
him  famous  and  beloved  by  all  of  his  many 
friends  and  acquaintances.  He  died  atBelle- 
fonte,  on  September  22,  18cf3,  in  his  nine- 
tieth year.  Col.  Wilson  served  throughout 
the  war  on  the  staff  of  Gen.  W.  S.  Hancock, 
and  remained  in  the  regular  army  until  ly?U, 
when  he  resigned  his  commission  and  en- 
gaged in  business. 


Judge  Dana's  Indian  Pipe. 

A  Tuukhannock  correspondent  of  the 
Scranton  Free  Press  writes  thus:  ''Up  the 
side  of  Avery  mountain  is  a  cave,  from  the 
mouth  of  which  you  get  a  lovely  view  of  the 
valley:  they  say  this  cave  was  a  hiding  place 
and  shelter  for  the  Indians  in  days  gone  by. 
Just  across  the  river  on  the  flats  was  an  In- 
dian burying  ground.  A  German  farmer, 
who  work's  Dr.  Dana's  farm,  told  me  yester- 
day that  two  years  ago,  when  plowing  for 
corn,  he  turned  up  seven  Indian  skull.s,  a  lot 
of  beads,  wampum,  arrow  tips  and  a  curious 
pipo.  Judge  Dana,  of  Wilkes-Barre,  who  is 
a  collector  of  relics,  gave  $:20  for  the  pipe. 


—."■>". 1- 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Till':  BERWICK   CENTENNIAL. 

Some  Data  Relating  to  the  Town's  Set  de- 
ment —  Confusion  as  to  the  Preei.se 
Date  —  Names  of  the  Founder  and 
Early  Residents  -Notable  Events.  Ew- 
terprises,  Buildings,  Etc. 

Authorities  differ  aa  to  the  exaci  time  to  cel- 
ebrate the  centennial  of  the  borough  of  Ber- 
wick, Columbia  Co.  The  people  there  say 
1886  is  the  proper  year.  Hon.  Steuben 
Jenkins  says  it  should  be  next  year.  While 
Dr.  Egle,  in  his  history  of  Pennsylvania, 
says  Berwick  was  first  settled  in  1783.  and 
this  date  coincides  with  that  given  in  Day's 
Historical  Collections  of  Pennsylvania,  pub- 
lished in  1813.  In  the  Berwick  Independent 
of  Jul>  14,  1870,  still  another  date  is  given, 
it  being  stated  that  Berwick  was 
founded  in  1780  by  Evan  Owen, 
whose  name  would  indicate  Welsh  ori- 
gin, who  came  from  Philadelphia  in  a 
a  Durham  boat.  He  built  a  habitation  and 
laid  out  a  town,  which  he  called  Owensville. 
He  subsequently  named  the  town  Berwick, 
after  his  birthplace  in  Scotland,  along  the 
river  Tweed.  His  house  was  of  logs  upon  a 
site  now  occupied  by  the  StftCharles  Hotel. 
The  settlers  who  immediately  followed  were 
Robert  and  John  Brown,  Englishmen:  Sam- 
uel Jackson,  a  brother-in  law  of  Owen: 
James  Evans,  a  millwright:  Henry  Traugh, 
a  tanner:  John  Smith,  a  shoemaker,  and 
John  Jones. 

John  Brown  opened  the  first  hotel,  and  it 
was  the  favorite  stopping  place  for  travelers 
between  Wilkes-Barre  and  Northumberland. 
This  hotel  stood  where  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. build- 
ing now  stands. 

The  next  hotel  was  built  by  John  Jones,  at 
corner  of  Market  and  Front  Streets,  and 
was  kept  by  him. 

Abraham  Klotz  kept  the  Jones  Hotel  stand 
a  long  while;  then  Frederick  Nicely,  during 
whose  time  it  was  known  as  the  Cross  Keys. 
The  St.  Charles  Hotel  was  the  first  brick 
structure  in  the  town.  It  was  first  known  as 
theSeybert  stand,  then  as  the  Rising  Suzi.  Its 
present  name  was  but  recently  applied.  Af- 
ter Seybert  it  was  kept  successively  by  Con- 
nelly, Leidy,  Ruch.  Miller,  Hoyt.  Correll, 
McNair,  Stedman,  Enke    and  Seely. 

Dr.  Headley  kept  a  hotel  in  what  is  known 
as  the  old  Headley  house,  the  present  resi- 
dence of  H.  R.  Bower. 

A  market  house  was  erected  in  1805,  it 
serving  for  schools,  religious  services,  public 
meetings  and  elections. 

Game  was  plenty  in  those  days  and  wolves 
were  a  common  nuisance. 

John  Jones  opened  the  first  store 
about  1800.  Other  early  storekeepers 
were  J.  &  A.  Miller,  J.  &  E. 
Leidy,  Thomas  Richardson,  Matthew 
McDowell,  Wright  &  Slocum,   Robert   Mc- 


jCurdy,  Stowors  A  Ellis,  Chirk,  Drilly  A  Sco- 

ville,  Win.  C.  Reynolds,  Gil  more  &  Shunian, 
Rittenhouse  and  Shumaii,  Headley  &  Buhl, 
Headley,  McNair  &  Co.,  Fowler  &  Dries- 
bach,  J.  &  J.  Bowman,  who  were  succeeded 
by  C.  B.  Bowman,  George  Lane,  father  of 
the  late  Charles  A.  Lane,  of  this  city,  who 
was  also  a  Methodist  preacher  and  for  a  long 
time  identified  with  the  Book  Concern,  New 
YorK. 

The  first  farmer  was  Sebastian  Seybert, 
who  had  also  a  store  and  blacksmith  shop. 
His  farm  was  at  the  Swamp,  in  Salem  Town- 
ship, two  miles  above  Berwick. 

Among  the  early  comers  were  Mr.  Daven- 
port, the  Malloys,  Samuel  Herrin,  William 
Cox,  Paul  Thompson,  <who  was  a 
potter,)  the  Yernetts  (M  rs.  Dr.  Ingham  being 
a  descendant  of  this  family)  and  Mar.^halls. 
Joseph  Stackhouse  brought  fruit  trees  from 
Bucks  County  which  he  planted  in  the  square 
comprised  between  Second.  Third,  Mulberry 
and  Vine  Streets.  The  first  lawyer  was 
Bancroft:  first  judge,  John  Cooper;  first 
doctors,  Moreland  and  Reisswick;  first  post- 
master, William  Brien:  first  schoolmaster; 
Isaac  Holloway;  first  Sunday  schoolman,  D. 
Bowen:  first  preachers,  Carson  and  Painter, 
first  coopers,  John  and  Peter  Solt;  first 
carpenter,  John  Brown;  first  blacksmith, 
Aquila  Star:  first  tailor,  Benjamin  Dean; 
first  mason,  Johuathan  Cooper;  first  dyer, 
Bush:  first  tanner,  Henry  Traugh:  first 
dentist,  Yallershamp:  first  tinner,  Hiram 
Inman;  first  gunsmiths,  Sleppy  tfc  Co.;  first 
wheelwright,  James  Evans:  first  silversmith, 
Marshall:  first  milliner.  Roxana  Courtright; 
first  painter,  Abel  Dalby:  first  butcher, 
Stackhouse;  then  Jonathan  Cooper:  first 
weaver,  Polly  Mullen;  first  cabinet  msker, 
Samuel  Herrin;  first  saddle  and  harness- 
maker,  Col.  John  Snyder:  first  lime  burner, 
John  Jones. 

Wm.  Brien  kept  the  first  ferry.  Tho  first 
bridge  was  built  in  1814  by  Theodore  Burr, 
it  being  carried  away  by  a  freshet  21  years 
later.  Its  officers  were  A.  Miller.  Sr..  presi- 
dent: John  Brown,  treasurer:  managers, 
Silas  Engle,  Thomas  Bowman,  Elisha  Bar- 
ton, Jr.  After  a  few  years  a  new  bridge  was 
built,  the  State  contributing  SIO.OOO,  and 
this  structure  still  stands.  The  contribution 
on  the  part  of  the  State  was  obtained  through 
the  efforts  of  Jesse  Bowman,  who  was  dele- 
gated to  visit  Harii^burg  and  urge  the  mat- 
ter before  the  Eegislature.  The  bridge  was 
built  by  Eliphalet  Edson  andCharles  Barrett. 
Its  cost  was  about  815,000.  John  Bowman 
was  presideni  in  1837,  when  it  was  finished, 
and  until  1813.  He  was  succeeded  by  his 
brother.Jesse  Bowman,  who  continued  m  of- 
fice during  his  life.  Others  who  helped  the 
enterprise  through  were  S.  F.  Headley,  J.  T. 
Beach,  Dr.  A.  B.  Wilson,  Robert  Smith  and 
Judge  Mack. 


8 


THE  HISTORIC  VL  RECORD. 


In  1805  Bovoral  Philadelphia  capitalist)* 
constructed  the  Ncscppeok  turnpike.  The 
Tioga  and  Susquehanna  turnpike  was  open- 
ed in  1818,  ; i t i r {  the  first  stage  lino  was  run 
to  Mauch  Chunk  by  Andrew  Shiner.  The 
first  stage  line  between  Wilkes-Barre  and 
Northumberland  was  run  by  the  llorton 
Brothers,  and  it  antedated  the  above  a  num- 
ber of  years. 

Evan  Owen  was  squiro  and  settled  all  dis- 
putes. Every  bear  killed  was  brought  to 
him  and  he  divided  it  equally  among  the  citi- 
zens. He  was  succeeded  as  squire  by  Samuel 
Herrin. 

Columbia  County  was  taken  from  Nor- 
thumberland in  1814;  Berwick  was  incor- 
porated a  borough  in  1818. 

The  nearest  mill  was  at  Catawissa,  15 
miles  distant.  Later  the  Rittenhouse  mill,  a 
mile  or  two  below  town,  and  the  Evans  mill. 
at  Evansville,  were  built.  Evan  Owen  built 
a  millalong  the  river  intending  to  supply  it 
with  water  therefrom,  but  the  scheme  proved 
a  failure  and  was  abandoned. 

The  first  church  was  built  by  the  Quakers, 
a  log  building  that  stood  where  the  brick 
church  now  stands,  they  being  the  first  de- 
nomination to  have  a  church;  the  second  was 
the  Methodists,  their  original  church  being 
the  second  brick  structure  built  in  the  town: 
it  was  abandoned  to  dwelling  purposes,  and 
anew  church  was  constructed  in  1845;  this 
was  displaced  in  1870  by  a  more  modern 
edifice;  the  third  church  was  built  by  the 
Baptists  in  1842.  and  the  fourth  by  the  Pres- 
byterians in  1843,  these  congregations  hav- 
ing worshipped  for  many  years  in  the  Metho- 
dist building. 

•Water  was  first  supplied  from  Foundry- 
ville,  and  conducted  through  log  pipes  a 
distance  of  two  miles.  The  present  water 
works  were  built  in  1848,  the  water  being 
raised  a  height  of  about  100  feet  to  a  reser- 
voir by  means  of  a  steam  pump  from  a  large 
spring  in  the  Susquehanna.  Rev.  J.  H. 
Young,  Dr.  A.  B.  Wilson,  Jesse  Bowman  and 
S.  F.  Headley  were  the  prominent  movers  m 
this  enterprise. 

The  mails  were  carried  by  post  fon  horse- 
back) and  in  1800  Jonathan  Hancock  rode 
post  from  Wilkes-Barre  to  Berwick.  The 
mail  was  carried  once  a  week  via  Nanticoke, 
Newport  and  Nescopeck  to  Berwick,  return- 
ing via  Huntington  and  Plymouth. 

The  old  academy  was  built  in  1830  by 
Thomas  Connelly,  supplanting  the  market 
house  in  location  and  in  its  varied  uses.  A 
few  years  ago  it  was  demolished  and  its 
space  in  Market  Street  given  up  to  street 
use,  which  was  demanded,  while  a  handsome 
new  school  building  has  taken  its  place 
further  out  Market  Street.  This  change 
took  place  in  1873. 

Shad  were  seined  by  the  wagon  load  and 
a  load  could  be  obtained  for  a  barrel  of  salt, 


so  scarce  was  this  commodity.  The  best 
shad  sold  for  four  cents.  One  was  caught 
weighing  nine  pounds.  Butter  broughl  >ix 
cents  a  pound  and  calico  from  thirty  to  fifty 
cents  a  yard. 

The  residents  did  their  washing  at  the  river 
and  left  their  kettles  along  the  shore  the 
yeai  round. 

The  first  children  born  were  John  and 
Annie  Brown,  children  of  Robert.  Annie 
became  the  wife  of  Jesse  Bowman.  She  was 
the  tirst  person  married  in  Berwick. 

The  Lackawanna  &  Bloomsburg  RR.  was 
opened  to  Berwick  in  1858. 

The  First  National  Bank  was  organized  in 
1864,  with  M.  W.  Jackson  as  president  and 
M.  E.  Jackson  cashier, 

The  first  fire  engine  was  obtained  in  1825. 
A  tire  in  the  Jackson  &  Woodin  works  in 
1857  destroyed  it. 

Berwick  had  its  cannon,  but  little  if  any 
thing  has  been  seen  or  heard  of  it  since  the 
firing  of  a  salute  on  the  return  of  the  Mexi- 
can soldier-,  when  through  a  premature  dis- 
charge Sam.  Iddings  lost  an  arm. 

Drs.  A.  B.  Wilson  and  Josiah  Jackson  be- 
gan the  practice  of  medicine  in  1828.  The 
latter  had  a  store  connected  with  his  office. 
Drs.  Beebe  and  Townsend  were  early  prac- 
titioners, as  also  Dr.  Langdon,  who  was  ren- 
dered incapable  to  practice  by  dementia. 

The  tirst  military  company  was  organized 
by  Charles  Snyder.  Training  days  were  a 
great  occasion,  the  battalion  drills  of  in- 
fantry,cavalry. etc.,  making  an  imposing  mil- 
itary display,  to  witne-s  which  the  people  in 
all  the  country  roundabout  visited  the  town. 

Ground  was  broken  for  the  North  Branch 
Canal  at  Berwick,  July  4th.  1828.  Mr.  Pews 
had  the  contract  for  the  Berwick  section 
and  Nicholas  Seybert  for  the  section  above. 
There  were  fourteen  drinking  places  in  the 
town  during  the  building  of  the  canal,  and 
pure  whisky  sold  at  3  cents  a  dram.  Packet 
boats  named  the  George  Denison  and  Gert- 
rude were  launched  by  Miller  Horton  and  A. 
O.  Chahoon  in  1835. 

The  accident  resulting  from  the  several  at- 
tempts to  navigate  the  Susquehanna,  is  still 
remembered  by  some  of  our  older  residents. 
The  Godorus,  a  boat  built  at  York,  drawing 
only  8  inches  of  water,  made  a  successful 
trip  to  Wilkes-Barre  and  as  far  north  as 
Binghamton  in  the  spring  of  182t>.  A 
second  steamboat,the  Susquehanna,  built  at 
Baltimore,  and  drawing  14 inches,  made  the 
next  attempt.  It  reached  the  Berwick  falls 
May  3d.  1826.  Rich  pine  wood  was  piled 
under  the  boiler,  a  full  head  of  steam  raised 
and  the  effort  made  to  ascend  t he  rapids. 
Bat  the  strain  was  too  great  and  the  boiler 
burst  with  sad  results.  Five  person-  were 
killed,  two  or  three  of  whom  are  buried 
in  the  Berwick  Graveyard,  and  most 
of  the  twenty  who  remained  on  the  boat 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


wcro  more  or  loss  injured. 

Berwick's  newspaper  record  dates  close 
upon  1800,  Win.  Caruthers  made  the  ini- 
tial attempt  with  the  Berwick  Independent 
American  in  1812,  he  having  started  tho 
paper  some  time  previously  in  Nescopeck; 
Daniel  Bow.en  issuedapaper  in  1827, George 
Mack  in  1832,  J.  T.  Davis  in  1834,  then 
Wilbur  &  Joslyn,  then  Tate  &  Gangewer, 
then  B.  F.  Gilmore,  then  D.  C.  Kitchen, 
then  Pearce  &  Snyder,  then  J.  M.  Snyder, 
then  Tate  &  Irwin,  the  a  AV.  H.  Hibbs,  then 
A.  B.  Tate,  then  J.  S.  Sanders. 

M.  W.  Jackson  and  Judge  Mack  built  a 
foundry  in  1840,  which  was  run  by  horse 
power.  The  firm  changed  to  iicCurdy  &> 
Jackson,  then  to  M.  W.  Jackson  and  in  1849 
to  Jackson  &  Woodin.  In  1872  it  became 
the  Jackson  &  Woodin  Manufacturing  Co., 
and  this  year  also  the  rolling  mill  addition 
was  made  to  the  plant.  The  company  has 
done  a  successful  business,  making  fortunes 
for  the  several  members,  and  it  continues  to 
be  an  institution  of  considerable  magnitude. 

The  Odd  Fellows  Society  is  one  of  the  old 
societies.  It  owns  a  handsome  building 
which  was  erected  in  1867,  and  is  a  prosper- 
ous organization  with  large  membership. 

James  Pratt,  a  soldier  of  the  revolution, 
was  one  of  the  early  residents. 

Tho  oldest  tombstone  in  the  grave-yard 
bears  the  date  1804.  There  are  buried  in 
the  cemetery  2  soldiers  of  the  revolution,  3 
of  tho  war  of  1812,  2  of  the  war  of  Mexico, 
11  of  the  Rebellion. 

The  first  cornet  band  was  organized  in 
1841  by  G.  S.  Tutton  and  led  by  J.  M. 
Snyder. 

The  telegraph  was  extended  into  the  town 
in  1850. 

The  above  contains  the  main  data  com- 
prising Berwick's  earlier  history,  ^o  effort 
has  been  made  to  bring  the  record  down  to 
the  present,  which  is  manifestly  needless 
when  simply  the  earlier  events  are 
intended  to  be  dealt  with.  No  preten- 
sion to  absolute  correctness  is  assumed,  as 
after  the  lapse  of  so  many  years  it  is  ex- 
tremely difficult  to  fix  dates,  names  and 
events  at  all,  to  say  nothing  of  the  almost 
impossible  task  of  arrangement  in  chrono- 
logical order  or  historic  sequence  with  such 
material  as  is  at  hand  and  the  brief  time  that 
could  be  allotted  to  the  subject.  In  view  of 
the  centennial  celebration  which  takes  place 
on  the  19th  instant  there  will  doubtless  be  at 
least  some  degree  of  interest  attached  to  its 
perusal. 

In  1805  the  first  animal  show,  an  eleghant 
exhibited  in  Wilkes-Barre.  Everybody  went 
to  see  the  "Jumbo"  of  the  time. 

In  1823  the  first  organ  in  the  county  was 
placed  in  St.  Stephen's  church.  Wilkes-Barre, 
and  the  first  tune  played  was  Yankee  Doodle. 


] : i :k w j < ; K  s  <; i:nt i  : n n i  a i,. 

A  Great  Outpouring  of  People-  -The  G.A.K. 
Veterans  Make  a  Very  Creditable  Dis- 
play—Indifference  on  tlie  I'arl  of  IM« 
Ltx;il  Management— Plenty  of  IMck- 
pocltets. 

[Special  to  Record.] 
Berwick,  Aug.  10.— When  Evan  Owens 
came  up  from  Philadelphia  and  founded  the 
town  of  Berwick  a  hundred  years  ago  he 
i  robably  had  no  conception  of  the  great  in- 
pouring  of  people  theiv  would  be  on  the 
19th  day  of  August  in  this  year  of  our  Lord 
1886.  To-day  is  a  gala  occasion  for  this 
ancient,  and  well-preserved  borough,  and 
residences  vied  with  business  places 
in  the  elaborateness  of  their  decora- 
tions. Flags  and  streamers  every- 
where, masses  of  bunting,  and  at  several 
of  tlui  street  intersections  arches  bearing 
words  of  welcome.  Some  of  the  buildings 
displayed  old  portraits  and  other  relics  of  a 
by-gone  day.  Beneath  one  arch  was  a  paint- 
ing of  Berwick  in  178(5,  but  as  it  represented 
not  log  cabins,  but  a  three-story  mill,  stone 
arch  bridge,  a  four-horse  coach,  and 
other  later  accessories  of  Berwick  life  it  is  to 
be  feared  the  artist  was  not  versed  in  the 
antiquity  of  his  town. 

The  crowds  began  pouring  in  at  an  early 
hour,  special  excursion  trains  being  run  on 
L.  &  B.  and  the  Pennsylvania,  by 
the  G.  A.  R.  posts  of  Wilkes-Barre, 
Seranton  and  other  points.  The  Wilkes- 
Barre  and  Pittston  train  consisted 
of  lt>  crowded  coaches.  The  Seranton  ex- 
cursion, over  the  L.  tfc  S.  and  the  Pennsylva- 
nia was  belated  by  a  cave-in  near  Moosic 
and  did  not  reach  Berwick  until  the  parade 
was  over.  They  were  headed  by  Bauer's 
band  and  had  a  very  creditable  narade  of 
their  own,  comprising  Ezra  Griffin  Post, 
Col.  Monies  Post  and  another  band. 

Really  the  only  people  who  deserve  much 
credit  are  the  members  of  the  Five  Counties 
Veteran  Association.  They  turned  out  in 
full  force  but  the  local  Centennial  obser- 
vance was  almost  a  flat  failure.  There  seems 
to  have  been  an  utter  lack  of  organization. 
The  crowd  was  here,  five  thousand  visitors, 
but  there  was  nothing  outside  of  the  vete- 
rans' display  to  entertain  them — not  even  a 
speech. 

The  parade  was  quite  a  creditable  ono  and 
was  mad3  up  of  veterans,  Sons  of  Veterans, 
Sons  of  America,  fire  companies  and  a  band 
of  hostiles— from  Shickshmny.  The  day  was 
a  perfect  one,  though  hot  for  the  marchers, 
particularly  the  older  men,  and  the  streets, 
well,  they  were  shoe  deep  with  dust.  The 
chief  marshal's  duties  were  skillfully  per- 
formed by  Col.  A.  D.  Seely.  The  line  was 
headed  by  a  trim  company  of  well  dressed 
and  well  drilled   boys,  the  Berwick  Guards, 


10 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


commanded  by  the  voleran,Capt.Hoft.  In  the 
the  first  carriages  Francis  Evans,  a  descend- 
ant of  the  original  settler,  and  his  guests, 
Gen.  Edwin  S.  Osborne,  Col.  A.  Wilson  Nor- 
ris  and  Dr.  C.  VI.  Wilson.  In  theother  car- 
riages were  Col.  Laycock,  Major  John  B. 
Smith,  Capt.  Harry  Gordon.  Dr.  W.  R. 
Longshore,  Capt. Wren,  Major  MeKune,  Hon. 
Lewis  Pughe  and  others.  Ely  Post  and  Keith 
Post,  of  Wilkes-Barre,  were  in 
strong  force  accompanied  by  the 
excellent  jnvenile  drum  corps. 

There  was  also  Capt.  Ashcr  Gaylord  Post,  of 
Plymouth,  Lape  Post,  of  Xanticoko  and  rep- 
re>entatives  from  otner  posts.  There  was 
also  a  numerous  company  of  survivors 
of  Southern  prisons.  The  expected 
9th,  12d  and  13th  Regiments,  N.  G.  P.,  did 
not  come.  Shamokin,  Harvey ville  and  Ber- 
wick were  represented  by  camps  of  Sons  of 
Veterans,  Nanticoke  and  Seybertsvillo  by 
Sons  of  America,  and  Berwick  by  Odd  Fel- 
lows. Danville,  Bloornsburg  and  Berwick 
had  some  well  equipped  fire  companies,  and 
Shickshinny  sent  a  tribe  of  "Moeanaqua  In- 
dians," who  took  a  prisoner,  tortured  him 
and  held  up  his  reeking  scalp  before  the  hor- 
rified multitude.  Women  who  fainted  could 
be  restored  only  upon  learning  that  the  In- 
dians were  only  make-believes,  that  the 
"prisoner"  was  a  bald-headed  man.  that  the 
scalp  was  only  a|wig,and  that  the  hemorrhage 
came  from  a  bladder  of  blood  under  the 
wig.  The  Mocanaquas  are  not  really  so 
bloodthirsty  as  they  seemed. 

The  parade  terminated  at  the  fair  grounds, 
where  the  visiting  organizations  were  re- 
paled  with  barrels  of  coffee,  huge  boxes  of 
sandwiches  and  gallons  of  pickles,  dispensed 
from  the  several  buildings.  The  grounds 
wrere  alive  with  devices  for  fleecing  the  un- 
wary, and  hundreds  of  dollars  found  their 
way  into  the  pockets  of  the  traveling  sharps. 
By  this  time,  1  and  2  o'clock,  it  was  boiling 
hot,  and  the  crowds  eagerly  sought  the  cover 
of  the  grand  stands  and  whatever  other 
shade  could  be  found.  The  populace  were 
disappointed  at  not  hearing  some  addresses. 
Neither  Gen.  Osborne  nor  Col.  Norris  were 
brought  out,  as  both  were  Republicans,  and 
there  were  no  Democrats  to  offset  them. 
B.>th  Hon.  Charles  R.  Buckalew  and  Col.  R. 
B.  Ricketts  had  been  invited,  but 
were  not  present,  so  Osborne  and 
Norris  were  not  called  from  their  carriage. 
The  Veterans'  Association  held  its  annual 
meeting  in  the  judges'  stand  and  elected 
officers.  For  president,  Capt.  Harry  M. 
Gordon,  of  Plymouth,  was  succeeded  by 
James  R,  Ehret,  of  Pittston:  Dr.  C.  H.  Wil- 
son, of  Plymouth,  as  secretary,  by  Col.  C. 
K.  Campbell,  of  Pittston  and  John  Y.  Wren, 
of  Plymouth,  as  treasurer,  by  Thomas  Eng- 
lish, of  Pittston.  The  new  vice  presidents 
elected   were  Major  Post,   of    Shickshinny, 


and  C.  B.  Metzger,  of  Wilkea-Barro. 
Brief  addresses  wore  made  by  Mayor 
MeKune,  Capt.  De  Lacy,  Capt.  Gor- 
don and  Chaplain  Stall.  The  veterans 
were  mostly  from  the  First  Army  Corps,  in 
which  Col.  Norris  has  figured  so  promi- 
nently of  late,  and  mostof  them  were  from 
the  140th  (Gen.  Osborne's  regiment)  and 
the  143d.  A  very  pleasant  informal  recep- 
tion was  given  Gen.  Osborne  at  his  carriage, 
which  was  near  the  judges'  stand,  by  hi^ 
comrades  in  arms.  Several  other  corpswere 
also  represented.  The  next  annual  meeting 
will  be  held  in  Pittston. 

The  addresses  were  much  interfered  with 
by  a  game  of  ball  a  few  yards  awa>.  con- 
tested by  the  Berwick  andHazleton  clubs. 

"PROVISO"  WIIiMOT. 


A  Stranger  Stumbles  Over  His  ."Mother's 
Forgotten  Grave— Sketch  of  the  Auti- 
Slavery  Democrat  Who  Studied  Law  iu 
Wilkes-Barre. 

A  gravestone  has  been  set  up  over  a  long- 
forgotten  grave  in  the  old  Bethany  burying 
ground,  in  Wayne  County.  The  existence 
of  the  grave  was  discovered  some  time  ago 
by  a  man  who  was  walking  through  the 
brier-choked  burial  place.  He  struck  his 
foot  aLrain-t  something  in  the  weeds,  and 
on  investigating  found  a  weather-stained 
headstone  lying  flat  on  the  ground.  He 
raised  it  up  and,  scraping  off  the  moss  that 
had  grown  upon  it,  ho  deciphered  the  fol- 
lowing inscription. 


In  Memory  of 

MARY, 

Wife  of  Randall   Wilmot, 

Died  Nov.  19,  1S20, 

Aged   28  Years. 


Randall  Wilmot  was  the  father  and  Mary 
Wilmot  the  mother  of  David  Wilmot,  of 
"Wilmot  Proviso"  fame.  Randall  Wilmot 
kept  a  tavern  at  Bethany  in  1814,  and  David 
Wiiinot  was  born  in  the  house  on  Jan.  20  of 
that  year.  The  tavern  is  still  standing. 
Randall  Wilmot  moved  to  the  West  in  1832. 
after  marrying  a  second  wife.  He  and  his 
second  wife  are  buried  in  Cortland,  Ohio. 
David  Wilmot  is  buried  at  Towanda.  Brad- 
ford county.  Citizens  of  Bethany  have  re- 
placed the  old  tombstone  at  the  head  of  his 
soother's  loug-uuknoA-n  grave,  and  will 
build  an  enclosure  around  it. — Honesdale 
Independent. 

"Dave"'  Wilmot  achieved  a  national  repu- 
tation by  reason  of  his  battle  for  human 
rights,  and  the  document  which  grew  of  it, 
the  famons  "Wilmot  Proviso."  Wilmot 
studied  law  in  Wilkes-Barre,  and  at  the  age 


Til  K  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


11 


of  30  received  ihe  unanimous  nomination  of 
the  Democracy  in  the  Congressional  district 
embracing  Bradford,  Tioga  and  Susquehan- 
na Counties.  Ho  was  elected  and  took  his 
Beat  at  the  opening  of  the  29th  Congress  in 
December,  1845.  The  annexation  of  Texas, 
which  Mr.  Wilmot,  in  unison  with  the  Dem- 
ocratic party  of  the  North,  had  supported, 
«eas  consummated  in  1845  arid  was  speedily 
followed  by  war  with  Mexico.  The  Wilmot 
Proviso  provided  that  in  anj  territory 
acquired  from  Mexico,  neither  slavery  nor 
involuntary  servitude  should  ever  exist  ex- 
cept for  crime.  The  following  year  he  was 
unanimously  nominated  and  elected  and 
was  again  nominated  in  1850.  At  this  junc- 
ture the  pro-slavery  Democrats  set  about  to 
defeat  him.  Mr.  Wilmot  at  once  offered  to 
give  way  to  any  person  who  would  represent 
the  principle  for  which  he  was  con- 
tending. Hon.  Galusha  A.  Grow  was 
named  by  Mr.  Wilmot  as  an  accept- 
able candidate  and  he  was  thereupon 
elected,  Mr.  Wilmot  being  elected  president 
judge,  a  position  held  by  him  from  1851  to 
1857.  He  resigned  in  the  latter  year,  and 
his  anti-slavery  principles  having  rendered 
the  Democracy  distasteful  to  him.  he  em- 
braced the  principles  of  the  opposition  and 
became  the  Republican  candidate  for  Gov- 
ernor of  Pennsylvania  though  he  was  de- 
feated by  Win.  F.  Packer,  it  was  claimed. 
through  the  treachery  of  the  KnowNothings. 
Ho  was  restored  to  the  bench  by  appointment 
and  again  by  election.  In  1861  he  wa=  elect- 
ed to  the  United  States  Senate  to  fill  a 
vacancy  created  by  the  selection  of  Gen. 
Simon  Cameron,  as  Secretary  of  War  under 
President  Lincoln.  He  served  two  years  in 
the  Senate  and  was  succeeded  by  Hon. 
Charles  R.  Buckalew.  President  Lincoln 
appointed  him  a  Judge  of  the  Court  of  Claims 
which  office  he  held  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death,  at  Towanda,  March  1(3.  1868. 

An  exhaustive  sketch  of  this  distinguished 
Pennsylvania!!  appears  in  Mr.  G.  F.  Hever- 
ly's  History  of  Towanda,  recently  published 
by  the  Reporter-Journal,  giving  the 
early  history  of  the  settlement  and  sketches 
of  the  eminent  men  who  have  resided  there. 


In  the  Shickshinny  Echo  for  Aug.  13  is 
concluded  the  series  of  historical  articles  on 
Huntington  Township,  Luzerne  Co.,  by  Mrs. 
M.  L.  T.  Hartman.  It  is  the  purpose  of  the 
author  to  enlarge  and  re  arrange  the  matter 
for  publication  in  book  form.  Mrs.  Hart- 
man  has  rendered  her  section  of  the  county 
a  favor  that  might  we!'  find  imitators  in 
every  other  township.  Her  work  has  been 
painstaking  and  thorough  and  the  volume  as 
a  monument  to  her  will  be  more  enduring 
than  marble. 

In  1708  Wilkes-Barre  was  the  post  office 
tor  the  whole  county. 


SOMETHING  ABOUT  BRICKS. 

How  Much  Easier  They  are  Katie  Now 
Than  in  a  Generation  or  Two  Ago  - 
A  WLlkes-liarre  Vurd  Turns  Them  Out 
in  Larger  Quantities. 

Sixty  years  is  not  a  very  long  time,  count- 
ing in  the  life  of  a  nation,  and  yet  when  we 

consider  the  advancement  made  in  all 
branches  of  art  and  science,  as  well  as  the 
commoner  affairs  of  life  within  this  period 
of  time,  we  can  but  wonder  how  our  fathers 
managed  to  exist  in  times  of  primitive 
simplicity.  The  industry,  for  we  cannot  call 
it  art,  of  briekmaking,  we  know  from  history 
was  practiced  almost  from  the  dawn  of 
man's  first  advancement  from  mere  animal 
existence.  The  Egyptians  at  the  time  of  the 
Israelitish  captivity  made  bricks  by  mixing 
straw  with  the  clay,  but  we  presume  they 
were  of  t.he  adobe  type  as  made  in  Mexico 
at  the  present  time  merely  sun  dried  masses 
of  a  foot  wide  and  two  feet  in  length,  which 
serve  the  purpose  very  weii  in  a  dry  climate 
like  Egypt  or  Mexico.  Fine  burned  bricks 
are  found  in  the  ruins  of  ancient  Baby  ton, 
yet  few  of  the  houses  are  constructed  of  so 
costly  a  material. 

The  art  of  brick-making  in  this  country 
has  advanced  very  materially  within  the 
memory  of  some  of  our  older  inhabitants.  It 
is  still  remembered  by  a  few  among  us,  the 
time  when  it  was  a  pretty  serious  undertak- 
ing to  make  and  burn  a  kiln  of  bricks. 
The  clay  had  to  be  dug  out  and  heaped  up 
all  v/ inter  subject  to  the  freezing  process,  in 
order  to  properly  disintegrate  the  clay:  it  was 
then  placed  in  a  circular  rjit  to  the  depth  of 
a  couple  of  feet,  and  in  the  spring  two  or 
three  pairs  of  oxen  were  turned  inland  driven 
round  and  round  like  horses  in  a  circus  ring, 
until  the  clay  was  reduced  to  the  proper  con- 
sistence and  fineness  for  moulding  in  a 
double  or  single  mould. 

This,  of  course, was  a  slow  process,  and  to 
make  even  oO.oOO  bricks  was  something  of 
an  undertaking.  Upon  visiting  the  brick- 
yards of  Messrs.  Dickover  &  Son  on  North 
Washington  street,  a  few  days  ago,  we  could 
not  help  comparing  their  way  of  making 
bricks  with  the  old  one,  very  much  to  the 
advantage  of  the  new.  Now  the  clay  may  be 
reposing  in  its  bed  where  it  has  lain  for 
countless  ages,  in  sheets  like  the  leaves  of  a 
book.  Two  stout  Huns  spade  it  out  and 
shovel  it  into  a  cart,  after  which  it  is 
dumped  at  the  mixing  machine  run  by  a 
powerful  stam  engine.  Two  men  here 
shovel  it  into  a  hopoer,  from  which  it  falls 
between  two  iron  rolls  running  close  to- 
gether when  it  is  crushed  partially,  and  if 
tnere  happens  to  be  any  stones  in  it,  as  is 
often  the  case,  they  are  tossed  out  by  an 
Jron  wheel  standing  at  a  right  angle  with 
the       rollers       and       having      projecting 


12 


THE  HISTORJCAL  RECORD. 


teeth  in  its  external  periphery.  Ah  the 
crushed  clay  passes  the  rollers  it  falls  on  an 
inclined  conveyor,  having  just  enough  water 
i'alliu^  from  an  icou  pipe  to  moisten  it  to 
the  proper  consistency.  The,  conveyor  car- 
ries it  to  the  head  of  the  grinder,  where, 
after  a  severe  churning,  it  reaches  a  recepta- 
cle at  the  bottom.  A  man  stands  in  front 
with  a  lot  of  eight-compartment  moulds, 
one  of  which  he  passes  under  the  clay, 
grasps  a  lever  and  gives  a  pull  downward. 
The  clay  is  forced  down  ou  the  open  mould 
by  a  plunder  attached  to  the  engine.  The 
; mould  slides  out  with  eight  well-formed 
bricks  and  is  immediately  seized  by  a  work- 
man and  placed  upon  a  truck,  which,  when 
loaded,  is  trundled  off  and  dumped  upon  a 
sanded  floor  to  dry.  It  requires 
the  work  of  two  laborers  to  carry 
away  the  work  of  one  moulder.  By  this 
process  20,000  bricks  are  moulded  oach 
day  when  the  weather  will  serve  for  drying 
and  the  time  required  in  its  passage  between 
the  clay  pit  and  the  drying  iioor  is  not  above 
five  minutes.  In  the  burning  of  the  bricks, 
too,  there  is  now  a  decided  advantage  over 
the  old  process  of  wood  burning.  On  our 
visit  there  we  saw  a  240.000  kiln  fairly 
aglow  with  the  heat  from  a  number  of  small 
furnaces  of  anthracite  coal  beneath  the 
arches.  The  burning  was  pretty  nearly  com- 
pleted, and  upon  climbing  to  the  ton  of  the 
kiln  and  looking  down  into  the  cracks,  we 
saw  the  whole  mass  as  read  as  a  cherry  and 
pretty  nearly  ready  for  having  the  fire  ex- 
tinguished. It  requires  thirty  tons  of  No.  3 
coal  to  burn  such  a  kiln,  and  when  we  con- 
sider the  price  of  coal  at  the  schutes  less 
than  $2,  the  cost  per  thousand  for  fuel  is  not 
great.  The  senior  member  of  the  firm  is  an 
old  time  bricklayer,  who  fifty  years  ago 
handled  the  trowel  here  in  Wilkes-Barre, 
and  he  takes  pride  in  showing  his  old  friends 
over  the  yard  whenever  they  may  choose  to 
give  him  a  call.  w.  j. 

Historical  Notes. 

The  Bucks  County  Intelligencer  for  Aug. 
14  contains  an  account  of  the  Holcombe  re- 
union and  historical  meeting  at  Mount  Airy, 
Hunterdon  County,  N".  J.  Representatives 
were  present  from  several  Xew  England  and 
Eastern  States,  at  least  700  connections  of 
the  Holcombe  family.  Judson  Holcombe, 
of  Bradford  County,  editor  of  the  Bradford 
Republican,  Towanda,  was  one  of  the 
speakers.  He  said  he  belonged  to  the 
Yankee  Holcombe  stock  which  settled  in  Ul- 
ster.Branf  rod  County. ou  the  New  York  line.in 
178").  The  ancestors  of  Ids  line  came  wdth 
their  children  to  Pennsylvania,  six  sons  and 
two  daughters,  all  of  whom  settled  in  Brad- 
ford, with  the  exception  of  one  boy,  who 
settled  in  Herkimer  County,  New  York. 
There  were  now  residing  in  Bradford  County, 


besides  those  who  had  emigrated  to  different 

sections  of  the  country,  some  300  Hol- 
combes  and  their  connections.  In  Brad- 
ford they  are  scattered  over  J.>  town-hips. 
The  speaker's  father,  Hugh  Holcombe,  was 
a  son  of  Eli,  who  came  to  Ulster  in  about 
1785,  at  the  age  of  lb'.  He  left  his  father  to 
cut  hi^  way  through  a  dense  wilderness.  He 
and  his  brother  took  up  about  300  acres  of 
land  under  what  was  known  as  the  Connecti- 
cut title,  for  S1.50  an  acre.  Finally  there 
came  Pennsylvania  claimants  and  they  had 
to  pay  for  the  laud  a  second  time,  -o  that 
ultimately  their  land  cost  them  S3  per  acre 
originally.  He  then  presented  to  the  audi- 
ence Alfred  Holcombe,  the  oldest  Holcombe 
of  Bradford  County,  now  84  years  of  age. 
He  lived  on  the  old  property,  the  ground 
where  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Bradford  of  the 
Holcombe  name  in  Bradford  located. 

The  Doylestown  Intelligencer  of  Aug.  14, 
contains  a  paper  on  the  Aboriginal  Remains 
in  Durham  and  Vicinity,  read  by  John  A. 
Ruth  at  the  July  meetiugof  thf  Bucks  Ooun- 
t>  Historical  Society.  A  most  interesting 
account,  is  given  of  the  several  finds.  Men- 
tion is  made  of  an  ancient  jasper  quarry 
from  which  material  was  obtained  for  the 
manufacture  of  stone  implements.  Among 
them  are  found  the  stone  hammers,  which 
are  cobble  stones  with  battered  edges.  The 
author  has  3,000  specimens  of  Indian  imnle- 
ments.  About  GO  per  cent,  are  made  of 
jasper,  30  per  cent,  of  shale  and  the  remain- 
der of  quartz,  chalcedony,  etc.  The  articles 
comprise  spear  points,  arrowheads,  axes, 
plummits,  sinkers,  amulets,  hoes,  pipes. 
wedges.  Amontr  the  collectors  are  Dr.  J.  S. 
Johnson  and  Benj.  Purcell.  Kintnersville;  C. 
E.  Hindenach,  Durham:  S.  F.  Wolf,  Riegels- 
ville.  Articles  are  constantly  being  found. 
The  Media  American.  Chairman  Thomas  V. 
Cooper's  paper,  publishes  a  series  of  mo>t 
interesting  sketches  on  local  history,  over 
the  siguature  of  "Steele  Peune."  The  arti- 
cle m  the  issue  of  July  28  was  an  account  of 
a  Media  paper  of  1826,  then  the  Upland 
Union  and  contains  many  happy  references 
to  village  life  60  years  ago.  As  usual  with 
papers  of  that  day  there  was  not  a  single 
item  of  local  news  in  the  Union.  The  feature 
of  local  news  was  reserved  for  a  later  gen- 
eration. 

The  Doylestown  Intelligencer  for  Aug.  10, 
contains  the  paper  on  American  Archaeology, 
read  before  the  Bucks  County  Historical 
Society  at  its  Julv  meeting  by  Rev.  Dr. 
John  P.  Lundy,  of  Philadelphia.  The  sub- 
ject is  one  of  great  interest  and  is  treated  in 
a  most  scholarly  manner,  though  not  apply- 
ing locally  to  Pennsylvania. 

In  170'.)  Anthracite  coal  was  successfully 
used  by  <  Ibidiah  Gore. 

In  1752 there  was  not  a  white  man's  cabin 
in  the  Wyoming  Forest. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


13 


HDWAIU)     KM  I  1. US  LK  CLEKC. 


A   Historical   Poem    on   Wyoming   Which 
This  Young   Mexican  Hero  Wrote  Over 

40  Vim-;  Ago  and  Head  at  a   Dickinson 
College  Coinim  n ccnic nt. 

The  Ri:coki>  has  been  handed  an  old  clip- 
ping of  a  poem  delivered  at  the  commence- 
ment exercises  of  Dickinson  College,  July 
10,  1838,  by  Edward  Emilias  Le  Clere. 
There  is  nothing  about  the  clipping  to  show- 
date  or  name  of  paper  but  we  learn  from 
Pearce's  Annals  of  Luzerne  that  it  was  pub- 
lished in  the  Wilkes-Barre  Advocate*  July 
28,  1841. 

Edward  E.  Le  Clerc  was  the  eldest  son  of 
Joseph  P.  Le  Clerc,  whose  family  residence 
was  at  the  northeast  corner  of  Union  and 
Franklin  Street.  After  graduating  from 
Dickinson  College  lie  studied  law  with  his 
brother-in-law,  Jonathan  J.  Slocum.  Soon 
after  his  admission  to  the  bar,  war  was  de- 
clared against  Mexico,  and  in  a  short  time 
thereafter  two  regiments  of  volunteers  were 
called  for  as  Pennsylvania's  quota  for  the 
conquest  of  our  Sister  Republic.  TheWilkes- 
Barre  company  under  Capt.  Dana  at  once 
offered  its  service  and  was  accepted.  Le  Clerc 
was  anxious  to  join  the  army  under  Gen. 
Scott,  and  being  offered  the  position  of 
lieutenant  in  a  company  being  enlisted  in 
Columbia  County,  entered  the  service  and 
participated  in  nearly  every  engagement 
from  the  taking  of  Vera  Cruz  to  the  final 
assault  on  Chapultapoc  at  the  National  Capi- 
tal. He  returned  with  the  soldiers  when  the 
war  was  over,  but  broken  in  health,  and  pos- 
sessing but  a  delicate  constitution,  did  not 
long  survive  the  many  hardships  he  had  en- 
dured while  in  the  service.  He  possessed  the 
true  noetic  genius  and  had  he  lived  to  maturer 
years  might  have  shone  more  brightly  in  the 
galaxy  of  the  true  poets  of  Wyoming  Valley. 

As  none  save  our  older  citizens  ever  saw 
the  poem  in  print  we  take  pleasure  in  repro- 
ducing it: 

'Twas  morn— 

A  summer's  morn  in  Wyoming; 
And  o'er  her  hills  the  god  of  day  burst  forth. 
Clothed  with  the  rosy  timed  dawn.  Ami  as 
He  yoked  fast  to  their  flaming  car  his  tire 
Encircled  steeds;  and  as  his  crown  of  light 
Peered  forth  from  out  a  passing  fleecy  cloud. 
All  nature  woke,  and  every  instrument 
Of  praise  she  tuned,  to  warble  sweetly  forth 
Her  gladdest  songs  of  love  and  joy  to  Him, 
The  bright  eve  of  the  universe. 

Oh,  'twas 
A  glorious  sight  to  look  upon,  to  see 
That  lovely  vale  bathed  in  the  morning  light, 
And  glittering  in  its  sheen,  as  Eden  did 
When  Nature's  self  was  young. 

But  then  at  eve— - 
A  calm  and  stilly  eve,  such  as  is  found 
In  southern  climes,  where  an  eternal  summer 
Reigns,  and  brings  to  the  sad  heart  a  balm. 
Then  far  beyond  the  reach  of  mortal  ken 
Is  found  the  grandeur  of  the  gorgeous  teene. 


For  resting  on  the  western  mountain's  tops, 

Ah  in  a  sea  ol  fold,  the  setting  sun 
Reclined,  in  soft  and  mellow  sadness,  grieving 
As  'twere  to  bid  tidieu,  and  leave  thai  vale. 
Which  he  so  much  did  love  to  smile  upon. 
And  there  reposed  the  lakes,  forth  sliadowing 
Like  silvered  mirrors  or  like  burnished  gold, 
The  hills  in  whose  embrace  they  lay.    Beyond 
Receding  to  the  Last  the  lofty  woods 
And  rocks  sublime,  the  masonry  of  fxod, 
Tinged  by  the  bright  beams  of  declining  day, 
Bore  sportive  semblance  to  the  moonlit  tower. 
Or  battlement  by  time  and  storm  decayed. 
So  wondrous  fair  was  then  the  beauty  of 
The  spot,  that  language,  yea,  conception  fails 
Its  loveliness  to  paint.     It  seemed  the  home 
The  mountain  home,  of  some  bright  fairy  elves— 
The  sporting  place,  at  the  dead  noon  of  night 
For  their  wild  pranks  of  glee. 

But  there  was  too 
A  stream  for  beauty  framed,  in  silver  robed, 
Which  ever  and.  anon,  while  washing  out 
The   mountain's   craggy   sides  thai    reared   their 

heads 
Pine  crowned,  farabove,  and  in  their  arms 
Circled  that  beauteous  spot,  like  to  a  kind 
And  careful  mother,  who  will  permit  no* 
F.ven  summer's  spicy  breeze,  to  blow  too  rude 
Upon  the  placid  forehead  of  her  sleeping  babe. 
Then  rushing  onward  to  the  mighty  s<>a, 
The  mouldering  relics  of  that  noble  race 
Unearthed,  who  once  unfettered,  proud  and  free. 
Roamed  through  that  vale,  ils  lord. 

But  soon  the  scene  was  changed. 
For  o'er  that  beauteous  spot  the  demon  form 
Of  war  did  rush,  and  o'er  that  land  devoted 
The  sable  pinions  of  his  wrath  he  spread 
Shrouding  in  night  the  day  star  of  their  hopes, 
And  brooding  deeds  of  death. 

On  ran  the  hours 
And  from  a  little  fort,  a  hardy  band 
Passed  out  to  battle,  in  numbers,  few  bat  firm, 
Determined  either  to  make  free  the  loved 
Homes  of  their  hearts,  or  perish  in  their  gore. 
On,  on,  they  marched  in  silence  and  in  doubt, 
For  they  knew  not  the  red  men  of  the  woods. 
Nor  e'en  their  crafty   wiles,  when  leagued  with 

those 
Fierce  demons  clad  in  human  form,   who  recked 
Not  what  thev  did,  but  in  the  life  blood  of 
Their  friends  their  guilty  hands    imbrued,   un- 
moved 
By  conscience  or  by  iove. 

But  as  they  slow 
And  cautiously,  passed  up  the  mountain's  gorge. 
Which  seemed  for  scenes  of  horror  formed  and 

blood. 
The  fatal  whoop  was  heard,  and  in  a  moment 
Down  fell,  like  rain  in  April  shower,  each   man's 
Companion.     No  single  form  was  seen,  no  sound 
\Vas  neard,  save  bounding,  that  unearthly  yell, 
From  distant  crag  to  crag,  which  echoing  back 
It  more  terrific  made,  its  own  discordant 
Melody,  and  ere  it  died  away,  there  came. 
Another,  longer,  louder,  bolder,  more 
Heart-rending  sound,  and  with  it  flitted  by 
The  seared  and  blighted  vision  of  that  band, 
A  thousand  shadowy  forms,  and  on  they  came 
The  deadly  simoon  of  the  desert  like.— 
That  little  force  withstood  the  dreadful  shock 
Like  brave  men  long  ami   well,  till    when    by 

strength. 
And  not  by  valor,  overcome,  they  fled 
Into  the  plain,  and  there  surrounded  by 
Their  treacherous  foes,  a  scene  of  woe  ensued 
Such  that  ne'er  mortal  man   or  heart  conceived, 


11 


77//;  HISTORICAL  UECOIW. 


Bo  full,  so  overflowing  full  was  made 

The  measure  of  their  misery.    It  seemed 

As  if  the  Almighty  in  his  f.  arfnl  wrath 

For  some  great  crime  had  wreaked  his  vengeance 

thurw. 
There  by  the  son  was  slain,  him  whom  In-  owed 
His  being;  he  who  lo  ig  had  dwelt  secnr  \ 
( 'in  led  in  sweet  and  social  intercourse 
By  friendship's  golden  chain,  fell  by  that  self 
Same  friend,  and  thus  they  fought  and   fell,  till 

left 
Was  scarcely  one  to  tell  the  dreadful  tale 
Of  cruelty  and  death 

Hut  one  there  was  escaped, 
Who  having  fled,  upon  the  river's  bank 
Concealed  himself:  The.enemj  pursued, 
And  one  outstripped  his  fellows  far,  when  like 
Those    blood-hounds,    which    in    ancient    times 

would  track 
The  steps  of  man,  so  sought  the  monster  even 
For  human  life,  and  pressing  on  a  briery  hedge 
He  paused-  and  he  who  lay  there  a  foot-fall 
Hearing,  on  the  stranger  looked.      He  looked 

again 
More  closely.    'Twas  his  brother! 
Springing  from'  out  his   hiding  j dace,  and  pros- 
trate 
Falling  at  his  brother's  feet,  he  bade  him 
Spare  him,  to  save  turn  from  the  torturing  foe. 
L'en   from   the   Indian.      Their  earlier    happier 

hours 
Recalled  to  mind  tho?e  halcyon  days  of  sonl, 
When  they  from  pleasure's  gurgling  founts  did 

..  .  s,'l5 
Life's  sparkling  nectar.    Rut  'twas  all  in  vain, 
P'or  he  who  ran  ins  country  or  his  home 
Desert  to  espouse  another  foreign  cause 
For  safety  or  ambition's  sake,  must  needs 
Lose  all  the  kindlier  feelings  of  his  soul. 
Thus  was  it  now.  for  turning  round,  he  said— ■ 
"I  know  thee  not— wretch,  dip  as  thou  hast  lived, 
A  rebel  to  thy  king."    And  lifting  up 
His  heavy  battle  ax,  it  dashed  upon 
His  unoffending  brother's  head,  who  fell, 
Breathed  but  a  prayer,  then  struggled,  groaned, 

and  died. 

Oh,  if  there  is  one  crime  above  the  rest 

That  the  Recording  Angel  in  his  book 

Marks  with  a  blacker,  more  eternal  seal— 

If  there's  a  sin  o'er  which  kind  mercy  sheds 

More  bitter  tears,  'tis  that  of  fratricide. 

Oh' horrible— it  is  most  horrible 

To  see  those  who  have  lived  and  loved  together — 

Received  their  infant  thoughts  and  strength  from 

out 
The  same  maternal  breast,  and  those  who  »wned 
The  same  dear  bond  of  kindred  and  of  love. 
Turn  to  be  enemies,  and  if  the  God 
Of  Heaven  will  more  enduring,  damning  fires 
Gall  down  on  any  one  of  his  offenders, 
'Twill  be  on  him  who  slays  ids  brother. 
But  now 
'Twas  night,  and  shooting  up  into  the  gloom 
Were  streams  of  flame,    and  bright   sparks  flew 

around, 
Like  stars   from  heaven  falling.     For  there  was 

now 
The  savage  conqueror,  who  having  glutted 
Full   his   black   heart    with    human    gore,  now 

sought 
To  devastate  that  lovely  vale.    And.  on 
They  came,  silent  and  terrible,  silent 
As  if  they  were  the  shadowy  forms  of  those 
Inhabiting  deatlv's  charnel  house:  terrible 
As  is  the  voice  of  God,  when  mighty  thunders 
Roar  in  their  avenging  ire.    Still  on 


They  came,  and  desolation  marked  their  path— 

Noi  age,  Dor  Rex  was  spared,  nor  e'en  the  1  aunts 

Of  men,  bul  'hen  a  universal  storm 

Of  lire,  blasted  each  verdant  field;  consumed 

Kach  resting  place,  and  e'en  the  :  -mples  i  * 

The  living  (tod  d»-st  roved:  and  thus  thej  swept 

Along,  till  all  that  vale  was  rendered  such 

A  miserable,  heart  rending  scene,  that  when 

The  mornintr  sun  rose  up,  in  clouds  he  veile  I  # 

His  face,  with  all  the  trappings  of  deep  woe 

He    clothed    himself;  for    storm-   and  darkness 

round 
Him  hung,  mourning  as  parents  would  for  some 
Young  lovely  child,  or  friend  for  friend,  at  this 
Loved  vale's  destruction.— 

Year-  have 
Passed  on,  and  yet  no  monumental  stone 
Endless  and  aged,  rearing  its  loftj  front 
To  heaven,  and  blazoning  forth  toall  the  earth 
The  mighty  object  of   its  rise,  now  marks 
The  spot  where  sleep  that  chosen    band,  though 

not 
Unhonored  and  unwept,  still  to  the  world 
Unknown. — Hut  there  a  simple  grassv  mound 
Of  earth,  wherein  the  dust-formed  reJicslay 
Of  that  true-hearted  few,  is  now  the  sole 
Remembrancer  of  Fair  Wyoming's  Dead. 


Relics  of  Frances  Slocuuo. 

[Chicago  Times.  | 
A  number  of  very  curious  Indian  relics 
have  jnst  been  unearthed  in  Wabash  County, 
Ind.  They  have  been  in  possession  of  mem- 
bers of  the  Miami  tribe  of  Indians,  to  whom 
alone  their  existence  was  known.  Amoug 
them  is  the  cross  worn  by  Frances  Slocum. 
the  famous  female  captive,  who.  with. 
a  very  few  other  whites,  escaped  alive 
in  the  Wyoming  massacre.  The  cross 
is  eleven  and  one-half  inches  long 
and  seven  inches  wide,  and  is  of  solid 
silver,  it  has  been  in  the  Mainii  tribe  for 
more  than  a  century.  A  medal  presented  to 
the  Wyandotte  tribe  by  George  Washington 
and  afterward  presented  by  the  Wyandotte 
chieftain  to  William  Peconda,  a  Miami,  has 
also  been  discovered.  This  medal,  also  of 
silver,  is  oblong  in  form,  measuring  seven 
by  five  inches.  On  one  side  occurs  the  words: 
"George  Wa&hington,  President,''  and  a 
medallion  representing  an  Indian  holding 
the  pipe  of  peace  to  a  colonist,  while  a  toma- 
hawk is  carlessly  thrown  aside.  In  the  back 
ground  is  seen  a  pioneer  at  the  plow.  On 
the  reverse  is  seen  the  coat  of  arms  of  the 
United  States.  An  offer  of  $500  has  been 
refused  for  this  medal.  Another  medal,  cir- 
cular in  form  and  t>vo  and  one-half  inches 
in  diameter  is  also  held  by  a  Miami.  A 
pipe  and  a  tomahawk, with  the  words  "Peace 
and  Friendship.  A.  Jackson,  President, 
18'2fV'  are  shown  on  one  side,  while  two 
hands  ciasped  ornament  the  reverse,  The 
relics  are  regarded  with  great  veneration  by 
the  Indians  and  unfeigned  curiositj  by  the 
whites,  and  nothing  can  induce  the  red  nun 
to  part  with  their  treasures. 


;'///•;  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Karly  Newspapers  in  Wilkes-Barre. 

An  article  in  the  Record  made  up  from 
the  Wilkes-Barre  Gleaner  of  L811  elicited  an 
interesting  letter  from  Judge  Chapman,  of 
Montrose,  published  in  the  Independent  Re- 
publican and  copied  into  the  Record.  Wm. 
P.  Miner.  Esq.,  of  Wilkes-Barre,  then  ad- 
dressed the  following  letter  to  the  Independ- 
ent, which  the  Record  takes  pleasure  in  re- 
producing: 

Friend  Taylor:  Please  say  to  our  friend 
"C,"  who  comments  in  the  Independent  Re- 
publican, of  July  26,  on  "Notes  from  an  Old 
Newspaper,"  that  Asher  Miner  established 
the  Luzerne  Con nty  Federalist  on  the  first 
Monday  in  January,  1801.  In  Number 
XLIV.,  of  the  October  following,  the  word 
'•County"  was  omitted,  and  in  April  26, 
1802,  it  Was  announced  that  "this  paper  will 
be  hereafter  published  by  A,  &  C.  Miner." 

May  1,  1804,  the  partnership  was  dissolved 
and  Asher  Miner  removed  to  Doyle-town. 
where  he  published  The  Correspondent  for 
twenty  years.  The  Bucks  County  Intelli- 
gencer retains  at  the  head  of  its  columns, 
"Established  by  Asher  Miner  in  1804." 

The  Federalist  succeeded,  the  Wilkes-Barre 
Gazette,  owned  by  Thomas  Wright,  and 
published  by  his  second  son,  Josiah,  who 
announced,  Dec.  8,  1800.  "That  several  of 
his  subscribers  had  been  deceived  by  false 
reports  that  the  Gazette  was  no  longer  to  be 
continued,  but  that  it  was  to  be  given  up  in 
favor  of  the  Federalist"  "It  has  been  sug- 
gested that  some  zealous  Federalist  must 
have  fabricated  and  propagated  the  malici- 
ous falsehood." 

The  difficulty  between  the  Wrights  and. 
the  Miners  must  have  been  amicably  settled, 
as  Asher  Miner  married  .Mary,  th*»  only 
daughter  of  Thomas  Wright,  the  proprietor, 
and  Charles  married  Letitia,  only  daughter 
of  Josiah.  publisher  of  the  Gazette,  and  re- 
mained sole  proprietor  of  the  Federalist 
until  Friday.  May  12,  1809,  when  it  passed 
into  the  charge  of  Sidney  Tracy  and  Steuben 
Butler.     Mr.  Miner  wrote: 

"The  talents,  integrity  and  application  of  the 
young  gentlemen  who  succeed  me,  are  a  pledge 
to  the  public  that  the  paper  will  be  improved 
under  their  superintendence." 

Mr.  Tracy  retired  Sept.  2,  1810,  Mr.  Butler 
retaining  sole  control  for  a  few  weeks. 

Dec.  28,  1810,  a  prospectus  was  published 
for  a  newspaper  to  be  called  The  Gleaner 
and  Lv:ze)HieAdvertiser,vfhic\\  was  published 
by  Miner  A:  Butler.  Sidney  and  Steuben  had 
been  apprentices  in  the  Federalist  office,  and 
their  names  were  household  words  in  the 
family  of  Mr.  Miner.  Between  the  master 
and  the  boys  there  had  been  confidence  and 
respect,  reciprocal  and  sincere,  which  lasted 
through  life. 

Jan.  29,  1813,  Mr.  Butler  retired,  and  Mr. 
Miner  coutinued  the  publication  until  June 


14,  1816,  when  "C's"  uncle,  Isaac    A.  I 
man,  became   proprietor.     On    retiring,  Mr. 
Aimer  thus    wrote    to    the    patron?  of    the 
Gleaner: 

"  I  he  beginning  of  t ho  week  1  disposed  of  the 
(rUeuiwr.  On  .Saturday  [leave  Wilkes-Burre  foi 
Philadelphia  to  aid  Mr.  Stiles  (with  whom  i  have 
formed  a  partnership)  in  the  management  of  the 
True  American.  My  successor.  Mr.  (  hapman,  is 
too  well  known  to  need  recommendation,  Ele  is 
intelligent,  studious,  iissiduous  to  please,  well 
versed  in  the  Mineral  politics  of  the  county,  and 
minutely  acquainted  with  tin'  local  interests  of 
Luzerne  and  neighboring  counties.  With  •  I  - 
ments  of  affection  and  respect,  1  am.  and  shall 
ever  continue  bound  to  you  till  my  heart  isas 
coldas  the  th.ds  of  the  valley.     ■ 

Charles  Minkr. 

-June  G,  1817,  Patrick  Hepburn  joined  Mr. 
Chapman,  and  Sept.  25th  became  sole  pro- 
prietor. 

Mr.  Miner,  not  satisfied  with  life  in  the 
city,  left  the  True  American,  and  declining 
an  offer  from  Mr.  Bronson,  of  an  interest  in 
the  United  States  Gazette,  purchased  the  es- 
tablishment of  the  Chester  and  Deluware 
Federalist,  at  West  Chester,  twenty  miles 
west  from  Philadelphia,  and  founded  the 
Village  Record,  which  he  conducted  success- 
fully alone  until  1825.  June  29th  the  fol- 
lowing notice  appeared: 

"TIk-  public  is  respectfully  informed  that  a 
partnership  has  been  entered  into  between  Asher 
Minor  and  Charles  Miner,  and  diat  the  fill  aye 
Jitcord  will,  from  the  beginning  of  July,  be 
published  by  the  firm.  Asher  Miner  is  well 
known  to  the  public,  having  edited  and  publisl  - 
ed  the  Doylestown  Corf'spund*.  at  for  20  ji  ..r-.  ' 

Charles  returned  to  Wyoming  in  1832. 
Asher  followed  on  disposal  of  the  paper  in 
1834,  when  it  was  sold  to  Henry  S.  Evans, 
Esq.,  who  had  graduated,  after  apprentice- 
ship and  employment  in  the  Record  office, 
which  secured  him  such  entire  confidence 
that  he  was  invited  to  purchase  and  left  to 
earn  the  money  and  make  payments  at  ids 
convenience.  A  confidence  well  placed, 
since  the  Village  Record  is  still  published 
and  prospering  under  tin-  management  of 
the  sons  of  Mr.  Evans.  m. 

Wilkes-Barre,  Aug.  5,  1830. 


Death  of  L.  W,  Stewart. 
[Daily  Reeoid,  August  20.] 
About    5-30  ptn.,    August     19,     Fee    W. 

Stewart  died  at  his  residence  in  Shickshinny, 
aged  about  65  years.  Fie  was  a  son  of  Laz- 
arus Stewart,  a.  great-grandson  of  Lazarus 
Stewart,  a  native  of  Scotland  who  came  to 
this  country  and  settled  in  Lancaster  county 
in  1720.  Capt.  Lazarus  Stewart,  Lee's 
grand-father,  lived  on  the  fiats  just  below 
Wilkes-Barre  in  a  bl:>ck  house  and  was  killed 
at  the  head  of  his  company  in  the  Wyoming 
massacre.  'Lee  Stewart  lived  in  Wil  ies- 
Barre  np  to  within  about  20  years  ago  when 
he  moved  down  to  Shickshinny.    He  subse- 


10 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


' 


qnently  went  on  a  farm  just  below  Mocan- 
aqua.  When  in  Wilkes-Barre  he  followed 
the  occupation  ol  a   wagonmaker.     In  late 

years  he  has  devoted  much  of  his  land  and 
time  to  the  raising  of  strawberries  in  which 
he  was  ver>  successful  and  made  considerable 
money.  He  leaves  a  wife  and  two  children, 
a  son,  Walter,  about  30  years,  and  a  daugh- 
ter who  is  married  and  lives  in  Chicago,  fie 
was  a  member  of  Lodge  61,  F.  &  A.  M.  The 
funeral  will  take  place  Sunday.  The  train 
wiil  leave  Mocanaqua  11:01  am.  and  the  re- 
mains will  be  taken  off  at  Butzbach's  land- 
ing, the  interment  to  be  made  in  Hanover 
cemetery. 

How  Ira    Tripp    was  Made  Colonel. 

A  Providence  correspondent  of  the  Scran- 
ton  Republican,  ( presumably  Dr.  Hollis- 
ter,)  gives  the  following  pleasant  reminis- 
cence in  the  issue  of  Aug.  20  : 

Just  forty  years  ago  Ira  Tripp  was  made 
colonel.  At  this  time  Lewis  S.  Watres,  a 
large  lumber  dealer  and  a  justice  of  the 
peace,  lived  in  the  sunny  nook  on  the  Lack- 
awanna, known  as  Mount  Vernon  then,  but 
now  called  Winton,  a  popular  and  thrifty 
citizen,  a  genial  fellow  full  of  hospitality 
and  fun,  and  a  Whig  in  politics.  For  many 
years  he  slashed  into  the  forest  on  the  moun- 
tain and  sawed  the  pine  logs  into  lumber 
which  he  sold  to  an  Eilandville  company  of 
New  York  for  88  and  810  per  thousand,  now 
worth  S60.  The  sawmill  and  a  single  house 
beside  his  own  made  up  the  place. 

In  the  spring  oi*  that  year  Mr.  Watres  re- 
ceived from  Harrisburg  a  commission  as 
colonel  for  Ira  Tripp.  At  this  time  the  only 
colonel  living  in  the  upper  end  of  Luzerne 
was  Colonel  Darte  of  Carbondale.  The  com- 
mission was  sent  to  Watres  as  he  was  the  only 
prominent  man  in  Blakely  township,  and. 
besides  this  it  was  at  his  suggestion  that  the 
title  was  given.  Esquire  Watrts  drove  down 
the  valley  to  Tripp  to  deliver  the  document, 
in  company  witli  the  writer  in  the  spring  of 
1846.  We  found  Ira  in  the  field  ploughing 
in  his  shirt  sleeves.  When  the  object  of  our 
visit  was  made  known  to  him  he  was  greatly 
surprised.  He  stopped  Ins  team,  invited  us 
into  his  house  and  regaled  us  with  whisky, 
cake  and  cigars  and  this  ended  the  matter. 
No  newspapers  were  printed  in  the  county 
between  Wikes-Barre  and  Carbondale,  con- 
sequently the  affair  was  known   but  by  fe  v. 


MARRIAGES. 


A    handsome  memorial  volume  has  been 
published  at  Harrisburg,   bearing  this  title: 
The  Bowman    Family.    A   Historical   and    Me- 
morial Volume.  By  Rev.  Dr.  S.  L.  Bowman  and 
Rev.  0.  B.Youn*;.    Harrisburg  1885:    Publish- 
ing Department  M.  E.  Book  Room. 
It   is    privately    printed    for    distribution 
within  the  Bowman   family  and  comprises 
268  pages. 


Benedict— Williams.— In  Pitt-ton,  Sept. 
2,  by  Rev.  D.  C.  Olinstead,  Thomas  Benedict 

and  Mis-  Anna  L.  Williams,  both  of  Pittston. 
Chemberlin  —Adams.  —  In    Binghamton, 

Aug.  31,  bv  Rev.  R.  G.  Quennell,  J.  E. 
Chemberlin,  of  Pitt;  ton,  and  Miss  Jennie 
Adams,  of  Binghamton,  N.  Y. 

Hemmebsley — Eckbote — In  Camden,  N. 
J..  Sept.  5,  John  Hemmersley  and  Miss 
Dora  Eckrote,  both  of  Conyngham. 

Rleckner — Stiles. — In  Bloomsbnrg,  Sept. 
2,  George  Kleckner,  of  Nanticoke,  and  Miss 
Emma  Stiles,  of  Bloomsburg. 

Roai — Tybbell — In  Kingston,  Sept.  8,  by 
Rev.  A.  Griffin,  E.  C.  Roat  and  Miss  Jennie 
Tyrrell  both  of  Kingston. 

Stbouse— Obb.— In  Phillipsburg,  N.  J., 
Aug,  26,  "William  Or  and  Miss  Ella  Strouse, 
both  of  Sandy  Run. 

Thomas— Ellis— In  Wilkes-Barre,  Sept.  3, 
by  Alderman  Wesley  Johnson,  Daniel 
Thomas  and  Miss  Jane  Ellis  both  of  Kings- 
ton. 

Tbumboweb — Richabt— In  West  Pittston, 
Sept.  8,  by  Rev.  D.  Stroud,  Charles  Trum- 
bower  and  Miss  Jessie  Richart  both  of  West 
Pittston. 


DEATHS 


29,  Samuel 
11,  Patrick 
6, 


Cole. — In  Shickshiny,    Aug, 
Cole,  aged  84  years. 

Duffy. — In    Pittston,    Aug. 
Duffy,  aged  61  years. 

Gillespie — In     Port    Griffith,     Sept 
Patrick  Gillespie,  aged  48  years. 

Harvey. — In  Bear  Cre^k,  Amanda  Laning, 
wife  of  William  J.  Harvey. 

Llewellyn.— In  Pittston,  Sept.  3,  John 
R.  Llewellyn,  aged  46  years. 

McDowall. — In  Pittston,  Sept.  2,  John 
McDowall,  aged  19  years. 

McCoy.— At  Drifton,  Aug.  23,  Daniel  Mc- 
Coy, aged  about  70  years. 

Moran. — At  Freeiand,  Sept.  1,  Thomas, 
son  of  John  Moran,  aged  11  years. 

Owens. — In  Hamtown,  Sept.  6,  Hannorah, 
wife  of  James  Owens  aged  53  years. 

Patterson. — At  Jeddo,  Aug.  26,  John  W. 
Patterson,  aged  20  years. 

Rorertson — In  Hooney  Brook,  Sept.  6, 
Mrs.  Ann  Robertson,  aged  7?  years. 

Shales.— In  Wilkes-Barre.  Sept.  5,  Nathan, 
son  of  Lewis  S.  Shales,  aged  8  years  and  7 
months. 

Shiyely. — In  Scranton,  Sept.  4,  Sylvester 
Shively,  formerly  of  Wilkes-Barre,  aged  51 
years. 

Witman. — In  Hanover  Township,  Sept.  4, 
Mrs.  Samuel  Witman,  aged  63  years. 

W^andel.— In  Plymouth,  Aug.  25,  Wesley 
G.  Wandel,  atred  40  year6. 

Williams.— At  Drifton,  Aug.  30,  Margaret 
wife  of  John  D.  Williams,  aged  46  years. 


V  "W 


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NOTES  AND  QUERIES 

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EDITED  BY  F.  C.  JOHNSON,  M.  D. 


Vol.  i]  October   i486  [No.  2 


WILKES-BARRE,  PA. 

press  el  Zbc  MUfces*Barre  IRecorft 

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Subscription  : 
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Vol.  I.  OCTOBER,  1886.  No.  2. 


Page       .  COUtCIlte 

17  The  Family  of  Capt  Lazarus  Stewart W.  H.  Egle,  M.D. 

iS  Cleveland-Folsom  Genealogy .W.  H.  Egle.  M.D. 

1 8  Death  of  Mrs.  Andrew  Raub 

19  Death  of  Thomas  W.  Robinson 

20  Stephen  Brule.. W.  H.  EGLE,  M.D. 

2 1  Poetry  of  Wyoming  Valley 

22  Pennsylvania  vs    Connecticut Hon.  STEUBEN  JENKINS. 

23  Bassett  Fam ily  Re-Union - 

23  The  Redemptioners G.  H.  R.  Plume. 

24  Indian  Paint  Stones 

24  The  Plumb  Family 

25  Proceedings  Wyoming  Historical  Society 

26  Luzerne  County  Centennial 

28  Reminiscences  of  Wilkes-Barre    Rev.  BOSTWTCK  HAWLE^ 

29  A  Historic  Apple  Tree 

29  Death  of  Anthony  Good 

30  Frances  Sic  cam's  Relics 

31  Text-Books  of  the  Old  Academy... 

32  Meaning  of  Susquehanna. 

32  Sheep  Raising. .....  =  .. 

32  An  Old  War  Song - 

33  Sam   Wright 

33  A  Liar  of  the  last  Century - 

34  Centennial  c'i  Luzerne  Count}' 

35  Luzerne  County  Post  Offices 

36  A  Suppose  d  Meteorite 

36  An  Historic  Log  Chapel 

37  Another  Sullivan  Expedition  Journal 

38  Waken  Berwick  was  Founded ...Hux.  STEUBEN  JENKINS 

39  The  Oid  Hollenback  House 

39  The  Old  Wilkes-Barre  Academy _ 

40  Rev.  Dr.  Chas.  D.  Cooper 

40  Book  Notices 


PENNSYLVANIA  QENEA  LOGIES, 
Scotch,  Irish  and  German, 

■     ■   ■         ■-.  D„  fcl.  A.. 

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1886.    Pp.  720  Octavo. 

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Copies  can  be  had  of  the  author. 

TTISTORY  of  HA  NOV  Eli  TO  WNSHIP, 
J I  1N 

LUZERNE  COUNTY,  PENN'A., 

INCLUDING 

sugar  notch,  ashley  and  nanticoke 
boroughs, 

*ND   ALSO    K 

HISTOKY  OF  WYOMING  ^  1LLEY, 

HENRY  BLACKMAN  PLUMB, 

Sugar  Notch,  Pa. 

Robert  Baur,  Printer,  WilkeB-Sarre,  Pa.,  1S85. 

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e  q  be  r.anti  ally  bound. 
General  Blank  Book  Manufacti 

Binder  for  Wj       ingl  ica]  Society. 

Correspondence  boI  rit  d. 

J.  W.  I: ALDER, 
7  and  9  MARKET  STREET, 
Wxlkxs-Babjmc,  Pa 


j  ~«w,m~-' 


tCbe  HMstorical  IRecorb 


Vol.  I. 


OCOTBER,   1886. 


No.  2. 


The  Family  of  Capt.  Lazarus  Stewart. 
[Contributed  by  Dr.  W.  H.  Egle,  Harrisburg.] 
In  the  Recoed's  notice  of  the  death  of  Lee 

W.  Stewart,  of  Shickshin»y,  tt  is  stated  that 
"ho  was  a  son  of  Lazarus  Stewart,  a  great 
grandson  of  Lazarus  Stewart,  native  of  Scot- 
land, who  came  to  this  country  and  settled 
in  Lancaster  County  in  1729,"  and  also  that 
"Capt.  Lazarus  Stewart  was  Lee's  grand- 
father." I  naturally  turned  to  my  notes  of 
that  family  and  also  to  Mr.  Plumb's  very 
valuable  History  of  Hanover  Township.  As 
1  hope  to  complete  a  genealogical  record  of 
this  family  for  a  second  volume  of  Pennsyl- 
vania Genealogies,  and  in  the  hope  of  ob- 
taining additional  information,  I  beg  leave 
to  present  the  following  contributions: 

Lazabus  Stewakt,  the  first  emigrant, 
came  with  his  family  from  the  north  of  Ire- 
land to  America,  in  1729.  The  same  year 
he  settled  on  a  tract  of  land  "situate  on 
Swahatawro  Creek,"  in  afterwards  Hanover 
Township,  Lancaster  Co.  With  the  aid  of 
two  Redemptioners,  whose  passages  were 
paid  by  him,  he  built  within  that  and  the 
two  years  following  a  house  and  barn, 
cleared  twenty  odd  acres  of  arable  land  ana 
planted  an  orchard.  He  died  about  1744. 
His  farm  was  a  long  time  in  dispute,  owing 
to  the  fact  that  the  warrant  never  having 
been  issued,  his  son  Lazarus  took  out  a  war- 
ranter the  same  land.  After  the  death  of 
the  first  Lazarus'  wife,  a  suit  was  brought 
by  William  Stewart,  eldest  son  of  John 
Stewart,  for  the  recovery  of  his  share  in  his 
grandfather's  estate.  A  distribution  was 
made  in  1785,  and  it  is  from  this  that  we 
have  the  foundation  for  the  record  here 
given.  Mr.  Plumb  states  that  the  first 
Lazarws  Stewart  had  children,  Robert  and 
Alexander,  Capt.  Lazarus  Stewart  being  trie 
son  of  the  former.  According  to  my  authori- 
ty, which  is  the  original  records  in  the  set- 
tlement of  the  estate,  his  children  were  as 
follows: 

i.  John;  m.  Frances . 

it.   Margaret;  m.  James  Stewart. 

iii.    Margerg ;mJohnYoxmg,a.ni}  left  issue 

iv.  Lazarus;  who  m.  and  left  issue; 
nothing  further  known  of  him:  probably  re- 
moved to  Western  Pennsylvania,  as  a  Laz- 
rmiH  Stewart  was  a  sheriff  of  Allegheny 
County  about  the  close  of  last  century. 

v.  Peter;  prior  to  17G0  removed  to  North 
Carolina. 


vi.  James;  removed  with  Ins  brother  to 
North  Carolina. 

rii.  David;  m.  and  removed  to  North  Car- 
olina. 

John  Stewart,  eldest  son  of  Lazarus 
Stewart,  d.  April  8,  1777,  in  Hanover  Town- 
ship, Lancaster   Co.,  aged  about  65    3  ears. 

His   wife,  Frances ,  d.  November   1U, 

1790.    Their  children  were  as  follows: 

i.     William;  m.  Mary . 

ii,    Lazarus;  in.  Dorcas  Hopkins. 

iii.    George;  m.  Rebecca  Fleming. 

iv.    James;  m.  Margaret . 

r.   JoJin;  m.  Margaret  Stewart. 

vi.  Mary;  m.  George  Espy. 

mi.  Jane;  m. Armstrong. 

Mr.  Plumb  gives  the  2d,  3d  and  Gth  as 
children  of  Alexander  Stewart. 

Margaret  Stewart,  eldest  daughter  of  Laz- 
arus Stewart,  senior,  married  James  Stewart, 
of  Hanover,  a  cousin  or  second  cousin. 
Their  children  were: 

i.  Charles;  b.  about  1732:  m.  and  left  issue. 

ii.  Lazarus;  b.  about  1734;  the  "Faxtang 
Ranger,"  Capt.  Lazarus  Stewart;  m.  Martha 
Espy. 

Hi.  James;  b.  about  1737;  m.  Priscilla 
Espy:  and  had  one  son,  Lazarus.  Priscilla 
Espy  Stewart,  when  a  widow,  married  Capt. 
Andrew  Lee.  From  Lazarus,  the  son  of 
James,  comes  Lee  W.Stewart, lately  deceased. 

Capt.  Lazarus  Stewart,  (son  of  Margaret 
Stewart  and  James  Stewart, )  who  fell  in  that 
doleful  massacre  of  July  3, 1778,  m.  Martha 
Espy.  Of  their  children,  the  nformation 
which  follows  was  received  from  Hon. 
Stewart  Pearce,  author  of  the  "Annals  of 
Luzerne  County,"  a  year  prior  to  his  death, 
Oct.  13,  1882.     He  writes: 

"Enclosed  I  send  you  all  1  know  about 
Capt.  Stewart's  descendants.  Resoecting 
himself  see  "Annals  of  Luzerne."  The  date 
of  his  death  in  that  book  is  wrong.  He  was 
born  in  1733,  and  married  Martha  Espy, 
whose  lather  lived  in  Lancaster, now  Dauphin 
County.  I  do  not  know  the  date  of  his 
children's  birth  or  death. 

"Their  son  James  Stewakt  married  Han- 
nah Jameson,  whose  children  were  Martha, 
married  Abram  Toller;  Frances,  married 
Benjamin  A.  Bidlack;  Abigail,  married 
Abraham  Thomas;  Caroline,  married  Rev. 
Morgan  Sherman;  Lazarus  and  Mary,  who 
both  died  single.  My  father.  Rev.  Marma- 
dake  Pearce,  married  James  Stewart's  widow 


18 


'.nib:  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


and  had  three  children,  Stewart,  Cromwell 
and  John.  My  father  named  me  in  honorof 
my  mother's  lirst  husband. 

"Elizabeth  Stkwaui  married  Alexander 
Jameson,  whose  children  were  William,  who 
m.MargaretHenry;/.V><'/7,  whod.  unmarried; 
Minerva.,  who  m.  Dr.  A.  B.  Wilson;  Eliza- 
beth, who  m.  Rev,  Francis  Macartney;  Mar- 
tha, who  d.  recently  unmarried. 

"Jo^iau  Stewabt  in.  Mercy  Chapman, 
removed  to  Western  New  York  at  an  early 
day,  but  I  have  not  been  able  to  trace  him 
out.  He  had  two  daughters,  one  nameJ 
Hannah,  the  name  of  the  other  I  do  not 
know. 

"Mahy  Stewart  m.  Rev.  Andrew  Gray. 
Mr.  Gray  was  born  in  County  Down,  Ire- 
land, Jan.  1,  1757,  d.  Aug.  13,  1839.  He 
lived  in  Paxtangand  came  to  Wyoming,  and 
settled  in  Hanover,  where  he  preached.  He 
was  a  Presbyterian.  He  removed  to  West- 
ern Ne»v  York,  was  a  missionary  several 
year*,  among  the  Seneca  Indians,  and  final- 
ly settled  at  Dansville,  Livingston  county, 
N.  Y.  His  children  were  James,  m.  Rebec- 
ca Roberts:  Margaret,  m.  Richard  Gillespie; 
Jane,  m.  Daniel  Gallatin;  WiViani,  d.  un- 
married; Andrew,  left  home  young  and  was 
never  heard  from;  Maria,  m.  James  Jack; 
Martha,  d.  unmarried:  Elizabeth,  m.  Robert 
Ferine.  I  received  this  information  respect- 
ing Gray's  family  from  Mrs.  Jane  Knappen- 
barg,  a  daughter  of  Martha  Gray  Gillespie. 
Mrs.  K.  resides  at  Dansville,  N.  Y. 

'.'PsisciiiiiA  Stewakt,  m.  Joseph  Avery 
Rathbun,  who  also  settled  in  'Western  Mew 
York.  Their  children  were  John,  Lazarus, 
Joseph.  They  all  married  and  have  descen- 
dants at  or  near  Almond.  N.  Y. 

"Makgaret  Stewart  in-.  James  Campbell. 
They  both  lived  and  died  in  Hanover  Town- 
ship, Luzerne  County.  Their  children  were 
James  &.,  who  died  unmarried:  Martha, 
n ho  m.  James  S.  Lee;  Mary,  who  m. 
Jameson  Harvey:  Peggy,  who  m. 
James  Dilley.  There  are  several  descend- 
ants—Lees, Harvey  s  and  Dil'ie}s— residing 
in  the  Wyoming  Valley. 

"Martha  Stewart,  d.  unmarried. 

'T  advertised  in  western  New  York  papers 
for  information  respecting  the  Grays,  Rath- 
buns  and  Josiah  Stewart.  The}  all  have 
descendants  living  there  now,  but  I  could 
not  find  out  anything  about  Josiah  Stewart's 
family  any  furth-v  than  what  I  have  stated." 

I  may  add  to  this  already  too  lengthy  com- 
munication that  1  shall  be  very  glad  to  re- 
ceive inrormation  relating  to  this  family  of 
Stewarts.  William  H.  Egle. 


land,  the  father  of  President  Cleveland,  de- 
scended from  Aaron  (1),  Aaron  (2),  Aaron 
(3),  son  of  Mo>es  Cleveland,  the  first  Ameri- 
can ancestor.  Deacon  William  Cleveland 
married  Margaret  Falley,  who  descended 
from  Luke  Hitchcock  (1639),  through  Mar- 
garet Hitchcock, who  married  Samuel  Falley. 
Their  son,  Rev.  Richard  Falley  Cleveland, 
m.  Anne  Neal,  of  Baltimore,  1829,  and  had 
issue: 

i.  Anne  Neal,  in.  Rev.  Erotas  P.  Hastings. 

ii.  Rev.  W  illiam  Neale,  in.  Anne  Thomas. 

Hi.  Mara  Allen;  m.  William  E.  Hoyt. 

iv.  Richard  Cecil;  died  without  issue. 

v.  Stephen  Grorer;  b.  at  Caldwell,  N. 
Y.,  March  18.  lt<37:  m.  June  2,  1886, 
Frauces,  daughter  of  Oscar  Folsom,  descen- 
dant in  the  eight  generation  from  John  Fol- 
som, who  came  to  America  in  IC-h ). 

pi.  Margaret  Louisa;  m.  Norval  B.  Bacon. 

vii.  J .e wis  Frederick:  died  without  issue. 

viii.  Susan  SojjJiia;  m.  Hon.  Lucien  T. 
Yeoman. 

ix.  Rose  Elizabeth;  b.  June  13,  1848; 
unmarried. 

Both  the  President  and  his  wife  are  de- 
scendants of  a  long  line  of  clergymen  of  the 
Presbyterian  faith. 


The  Cleveland -Folsom  Genealogy. 

Iu  Dr.   Egle's  Notes    and    Queries  in  the 

Harrisburg  Telegraph  is  given   th<">   ancestry 

of  President  Cleveland,  and   incidentally  of 

his  spouse.    It  is  that  Deacon  William  Clove- 


A   Great-<ire;it  Grandmother  Dead. 

Nearly  a  century  ago,  or  to  be  more  exact, 
on  the  19th  day  of  May,  1791,  there  was 
born  in  Greenwich,  N.  J.,  Moriah  Arnold. 
The  child  grew  to  womanhood,  married  An- 
drew Raub,  became  a  mother,  then  a  grand- 
mother, later  a  great-grandmother,  and 
finally  a  great-great-grandmother — a  dignity 
which  attaches  to  but  a  very  favored  few. 
She  lived  a  happy  nd  useful  life,  shedding 
sunlight  into  hundreds  of  homes,  minister- 
ing to  the  sick  and  bestowing  alms  upon  the 
poor  and  leaving  her  children  and  theirs  the 
benediction  of  a  lovely  life,  she  passed  from 
earth  Wednesday,  Aug.  IS  at  the  home  of  her 
daughter,  Mrs.  Addison  Church,  in  Luzerne 
Borons  h. 

"Aunt  Moriah"  was  what  she  was  called 
the  country  round,  .'.nd  a  host  of  warm  and 
loving  friends  she  had.  She  married  at  her 
native  town  when  23  years  old.  and  three 
years  later  came  to  the  Wyoming  Valley, 
where  she  was  to  spend  t?9  years  amid  peace 
and  plenty.  Her  husband  came  first  to 
Wyoming  Valley  in  1810  to  visit  his  friend, 
John  Sharps'  (father  of  the  late  Jacob 
Sharps),  who  was  also  from  the  same  Jersev 
town  as  himself.  Mr.  Raub  was  wont  to  tell 
his  children  ever  afterward-  about  that  visit, 
for  it  was  during  the  cold  summer  of  181b1  — 
a  year  when  every  mouth  had  its  frost.  He 
used  to  say  that  in  June  there  was  a  snow- 
storm which  bore  heavily  upon  the  wheat, 
then  in  bloom:  that  many  of  the  farmers 
tool;  clothes-Hues  and  scraped  the  snow 
from  the  bending  grain;  that   those  who  did 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Hi 


this  lost  their  crops,  while  the  ones  who 
trusted  to  nature  had  no  harm  come  to 
their  grain;  and  that  when  the  harvest 
finally  came  the  farm  hands  went  to  the 
fields  wearing  their  great-coats. 

Notwithstanding  the  inclement  weather 
Mr.  ]lauh  determined  to  make  his  home  in 
this  beautiful  valley  and  hebrousrht  Ids  wife 
the  following  year  and  purchased  a  farm  in 
Kingston  Township.  On  this  snot  he  and 
his  good  wife  lived  45  years,  until  his  demise 
in  1802.  and  she  has  never  lived  more  than  a 
mile  distant  from  the  original  home.  Mrs. 
Raub  drank  from  the  same  spring  during  all 
these  09  years  and  it  still  vields  refreshment 
to  the  families  of  Samuel  Raub  and  Addi-on 
Church.  During  the  last  dozen  years,  when 
the  infirmities  of  age  came  upon  her,  Mrs. 
Raub  lived  with  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Charch, 
who  lovingly  and  patieutly  ministered  to  her 
every  want.  A  year  ago  last  March  she 
made  a  mis-step  while  walking  across  her 
bedroom  floor  and  sustained  a  fracture,  of 
the  hip,  as  a  result  of  wnich  she  took  to  her 
bed  and  never  left  it.  Her  decline  was  then 
rapid.  As  her  bodily  powers  became  weak 
her  mind  lost  its  viuor  and  became  dim. 
The  sunshine  gave  way  to  mental 
torpor  and  the  once  active  mem- 
ory became  almost  a  blank. 
Thus  she  sank  peacefully  and  painlessly 
into  her  iast  sleep  of  earth.  During  life  she 
was  warmly  attached  to  the  Presbyterian 
Church,  of  which,  she  was  a  communicant. 
and  in  the  consolation  of  its  doctrine  she 
passed  from  earth  without  a  murmur. 

Her  surviving  children  are:  Nancy,  wife 
of  James  Atherton,  Osceola,  Pa.:  Mrs.  Sur- 
renda  Mathers,  Luzerne:  Andrew  Raub, 
Dallas;  Samuel  Raub,  Luzerne:  Mrs.  Martha 
Bonham,  Luzerne:  Mrs.  Mary  Bonham,  Elk- 
land,  Tioga  County;  Mrs.  Addison  Church, 
Luzerne. 

Mrs.  Andrew  Raub,  was  buried  on 
Friday  afternoon  from  the  residence  of 
her  grandson,  Addison  Church,  in  Luzerne 
Borough.  Services  were  held  at  the  house 
at  3  pm.}  Revs.  H.  H.  Welles  and  E.  Hazard 
Snowden  officiating.  An  appropriate  hymn 
was  also  sung  by  some  of  the  ladies  present. 
The  gathering  of  friends  and  relatives  was 
very  large,  and  a  long  cortege  of  carriages 
followed  the  remains  to  their  last  resting 
place  in  Forty  Fort  Cemetery.  Brief  ser- 
vices were  also  held  at  the  grave.  The  fol- 
lowing, all  of  whom  are  grandsons  of  the 
deceased,  acted  as  pall  bearers:  J.  W.  Bon- 
ham, W.  S.  Bonham,  Edgar  E.  Raub, 
Thomas  R.  Atherton,  Andrew  R.  Mathers 
and  Andrew  G.  Raub. 


In  1767  the  first  church  bell  rang  in  a 
Moravian  church  at  Wyalusing. 

In  1770  the  first  house  built  in  Pittston,  a 
*og  building,  was  erected  by  Zebulou  Marey. 


AN   AGED  MASON'S  DEATH. 

Thomas  \V.  Robinson  Dies  in  this  City  at 
the  Ripe  Old  Aco  of  H'.i  Years— Sketch 
of  liis  Life. 

Thomas  Walter  Robinson,  died  at  his  resi- 
dence, corner  of  Union  and  Franklin  Streets, 
at  an  early  hour  Tuesday,  Aug.  12,  sur- 
rounded by  his  sous  and  daughters,  all  save 
his  son  William,  now  advanced  in  years  and 
living  in  the  tar  West,  being  present  at  his 
bedside.  The  deceased  for  a  year  or  more 
has  been  a  sufferer  from  diabetes  in  a  mild 
form,  but  until  within  the  last  month  or  so 
has  kept  up,  being  aide  to  attend  to  his 
duties  of  tipstaff  in  the  County  Courts  al- 
most to  the  end. 

Mr.  Robinson  was  born  in  Yorkshire,  Eng- 
land, in  January.  1803,  where  he  was  mar- 
ried at  the  age  of  19  to  Miss  Martha  Todd, 
and  with  his  young  wife  soon  after  emigrated 
to  this  country,  lie  arrived  in  Wilkes-Barre 
in  about  1828,  where  lie  obtained  employ- 
ment with  .Judge  Matthias  Hollenback,  who 
kept  a  store  at  tho  corner  of  River  and  Ma- 
ket  Streets,  where  J.  id.  Swojer's  office  now 
is,  and  was  also  engaged  in  the  milling  busi- 
ness. Judge  Hollenback  died  in  1820.  but 
Mr.  Robinson  still  continued  with  his  son, 
George  M.,  for  several  years.  His  principal 
duties  were  to  attend  about  the  store  and 
drive  a  team  for  carting  flour  from  the  stone 
mill  to  Carbondaie  at  the  starting  up  of  coal 
miniug  there.  After  working  for  Mr.  Hollen- 
back for  a  time  he  rented  the  oil  and  plaster 
mill  of  his  employer  situate  in  Hartsuff's 
Hollow,  now  Luzerne  Borough,  which  he 
onerated  for  a  few  years,  and  having  saved 
up  enough  money  to  carry  him  to  the  far 
West  soon  after  the  close  of  the  Black  Hawk 
war,  in  1832  or  1833,  emigrated  to  Illinois 
and  settled  on  Indian  River,  about  thirty 
miles  from  Chicago,  which  at  that  time  was 
merely  a  trading  post;  and  land  anywhere 
half  a  mile  away  from  old  Port  Dearborn 
could  be  entered*  at  Government  x»rice,  SI. 25 
per  acre. 

While  living  on  Indian  River,  where  he 
had  charge  of  a  stage  route  to  Galena,  his 
wife  sickened  and  died,  and  he  with  his  two 
children,  a  girl  and  a  boy,  hi-;  son  William, 
now  living  West,  and  his  daughter,  widow  of 
the  late  "Thomas  Goucher,  returned  to 
Wilkes-Barre.  After  his  return,  for  his  sec- 
ond wife  he  married  Emeline  Hotchkiss, 
daughter  of  George  Hotchkiss,  who  is  now 
his  surviving  widow  at  near  75  years  of  age. 
He  was  engaged  in  various  business  enter- 
prises, and  while  in  the  employ  of  George  M. 
Hollenback  ran  the  first  boat  load  of  coal 
that  ever  went  from  the  Wyoming  mines  to 
Philadelphia;  this  was  transported  in  what 
was  called  a  Union  Canal  boat,  passing 
down  the  Pennsylvania  Canal  to  Middletown 
and  thence  crossing  over  by  the  Union  Canal 


20 


THE  HISTORICAL  REVO  III). 


to  the  Schuylkill  at  Reading,  and  thence 
down  to  Philadelphia.  These  Union  boats 
were  only  of  about  twenty  or  twenty-five 
tons  capacity,  and  the  coal  was  delivered  to 
Jordan  &  Brother,  after  which  the  boat 
brought  a  return  freight  of  groceries  to  Mr. 
Hollenback's  store. 

After  a  tew  years  sojourn  here  lie  again 
left  for  the  West,  going  this  time  to  St. 
Louis,  but  was  again  forced  to  return  on  ac- 
count of  sickness  in  his  family.  Since  his 
second  return  he  has  been  principally  en- 
gaged in  the  confectionery  and  baking  busi- 
ness in  this  city,  in  Kingston,  in  Pittston 
and  in  Hazleton.  At  one  time  lie  kept  a 
place  of  entertainment  on  the  southwest  side 
of  Public  Square,  which  was  a  favorite  re- 
sort and  headquarters  of  the  famous  Mug- 
gletonian  Society,  composed  of  young  men 
of  that  day  of  festive  and  convivial  habits. 

For  the  last  ten  or  more  years  he  has 
served  as  tipstaff  in  the  county  courts,  and 
also  as  tyier  and  guardian  of  the  outer  door 
of  the  temple  for  the  various  Masonic  lodges. 
Of  this  latter  duty  he  was  relieved  a  couple 
of  years  ago  by  leason  of  his  failing  strength, 
but  the  lodge  kindly  continued  his  salary 
as  such  while  another  performed  the  duty. 
He  was  one  of  the  oldest  members  of  Xo.  61, 
F.  and  A.  M.  He  was  also  a  member  of  the 
Holy  Royal  Arch  Chapter  and  of  Dieu-le- 
Veut  Commandery,  No  45,  of  Knights  Tem- 
plar, and  took  a  deep  interest  in  the  work  of 
Freemasonry,  both  in  the  blue  lodges  and 
the  more  advanced  brotherhood  with  which 
he  was  affiliated. 

The  dying  patriarch  was  approached  only 
a  few  days  ago  by  a  member  of  the  Com- 
mandery, who  inquired  of  him  as  to  his 
wishes  in  case  he  should  not  survive  his  pre- 
sent illness.  He  promptly  replied  that  old 
Gl  was  his  first  love  and  he  desired  nothing 
further  than  to  be  borne  to  his  last  resting 
place  by  the  members  of  the  Masonic  fratern- 
ity. The  principles  of  morality  and  religion 
as  taught  within  the  lodge  formed  at  all  time 
his  religious  creed,  and  he  hoped  and  trusted 
that  it  would  be  by  the  strousr  grip  of  the 
lion's  paw  and  on  the  five  noinfs  of  fellowship 
that  the  Supreme  Grand  Master  would  final- 
ly raise  him  from  actual  death,  and  whisper 
in  his  ear  the  word  of  a  spiritual  master  ma- 
son that  will  admit  him  to  full  teilowship 
within  that  grand  heavely  temple,  not  bnild- 
ed  by  mortal  hand.  Besides  the  son  and 
daughter  of  his  first  wife  he  leaves  four 
sons  and  one  daughter,  wife  of  Marcus  Smith 
of  this  city.  His  second  son,  George  S. 
Robinson,  is  a  distinguished  member  of  the 
theatrical  profession. 

In  1820  coal  to  the  amount  of  800  tons 
was  mined  in  the  Wyoming  Valley. 

In  1822  St.  Stephen's  Episcopal  church, 
Wilkes-Barre,  was  completed. 


STEPHEN     BRULE. 

The  First  White   Mau   Who  Descended  the 
Susquehanna. 

In  his  department  of  Notes  and  Queries  in 
the  Harrisburir  Telegraph  Dr.  \V.  H.  Egle 
publishes  a  most  interesting  account  oJ  the 
first  white  man  who  descended  the  Susque- 
hanna River.  The  nar rathe  is  derived  from 
John  Gilmary  Shea,  LL.  D.,  and  is  to  the 
effect  that  one  Stephen  Brule  crossed  from 
Lake  Ontario  to  the  head  waters  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna, descended  the  North  Branch  to 
within  a  few  miles  of  Shamokin,  and  fur- 
nished the  Je-uit  Fathers  with  the  earliest 
information  we  have  of  the  Aborigines  of 
that  section. 

"Stephen  llrule,  whose  eulogy  of  the  coun- 
try of  the  Neutrals,  led  Father  de  la  Kochu 
Daillon,  to  visit  them,  had,  we  must  infer, 
already  been  in  that  part  of  the  country, 
and  been  struck  by  its  advantages. 
He  came  over  at  a  very  early  age 
and  was  employed  by  Champlain  from 
about  1010  and  perhaps  earlier.  He 
was  one  of  the  first  explorers,  proceeding  to 
the  Huron  country  :  nd  acquiring  their  lan- 
guage was  to  serve  u*  an  interpreter.  (Laver- 
diere's  Champlain  \a  pp.  244,  266. )  As 
early  as  Sept.  8,  1  .,15,  when  Chan  plian  was 
preparing  to  join  the  Hurons  in  their 
expedition  against  the  Entouohonorons,  m 
Central  Xew  York,  Stephen  Bruie  set  out 
with  a  party  of  twelve  Hurons  from  Upper 
Canada  for  the  towns  of  the  Carantouannais, 
allies  of  the  Hurons.  living  on  the  Susque- 
hanna, and  evidently  forming  part  of  the 
confederacy  knowu  later  as  the  Andastes, 
(lb.  p.  35)  to  secure  their  co-operation 
against  the  enemy. 

He  crossed  from  Lake  Ontario  apparently 
to  the  Susquehanna,  defeated  a  small  Iro- 
quois party  and  entered  the  Carantouannais 
town  in  triumph.  The  force  marched  too 
slowly  to  join  Champlain,  and  Brule  return- 
ed to  their  country  where  he  wintered.  He 
descended  their  river  (the  Susquehanna;, 
visiting  the  neighboring  tribes,  meeting 
several  who  complained  of  the  harshness  of 
the  Dutch.  At  last  he  started  to  rejoin  his 
countrymen,  but  his  party  was  attacked  and 
scattered  by  the  Iroquois  and  Brule  losing 
his  way  entered  an  Iroquois  village.  He 
tried  to  convince  them  that  he  was  not  of 
the  same  nation  of  whites  who  had  just  been 
attacking  them,  but  they  fell  upon  him,  tore 
out  his  nails  and  beard  and  began 
to  burn  him  in  different  parts  of 
the  body.  He  was  far  from  being  an 
exemplary  character,  but  wore  an  Agnuri 
Dei,  and  when  the  Indians  went  to  tear  this 
from  his  neck  he  threatened  them  with  the 
vengeance  of  heaven.  Just  then  a  terrible 
thunder  storm  came  up,  his  tormentors  fled 
and  the  chief  released   him.     After    ho    had 


Til E  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


21 


spent  some  time  with  them  they  escorted 
him  four  days'  journey  and  he  made  bis  way 

to  th«  Atiuouaentuns  the  Huron  tribe  occu- 
pying the  peninsula  between  Nattawassaga 
and  Matchedash  buys  on  Lake  Hurou  I  Lav- 
erdier*»'s  Ohamplain  1619.pp.  134  MO,  I61f> 
p.  26:  Sagard,  Histoire  du  Canada  p.  4UG.) 

He  found  Ghamplain  in  1618.  and  made 
his  report  to  him.  If,  was  apparently  on  this 
return  march  that  he  passed  through  the 
territory  of  the  Neuter-,  as  it  would  be  his 
safest  course.  We  find  him  in  Quebec  in 
1623,  when  he  was  sent  to  meet  and  bring 
down  the  Hurons  coming  to  trade.  He  re- 
turned with  them,  leading  a  very  dissolute 
life  among  the  Indians  (as  Sasard  com- 
plained), Laverdiere's  Ghamplain  1624,  p. 
81.  When  Kirk  took  Quebec  he  went  over 
to  the  English,  and  was  sent  up  to  the 
Hurons  in  their  interest  in  1629,  notwith- 
standing the  bitter  reproaches  of  Ohamplain. 
(lb.  1632,  p.  267,)  Sagard,  writ- 
ing in  1636,  states  that  provoked 
at  his  conduct  the  Hurons  put  him 
to  death  and  devoured  him.  Sagard, 
Histoire  du  Canada,  p.  466,  Lejeune  Rela- 
tion 1633,  p.  34.  The  latter  fact  is  not  men- 
tioned by  the  Jesuit*.  From  the  remark  of 
Father  Brebeuf  (Relation  1635,  p.  28),  it 
would  seem  that  he  met  his  death  at  the  very 
town,  Toanchain,  whence  Father  de  la 
Roche  wrote.  It  was  about  a  mile  from 
Thunder  Ray.  —  ^Laverdiere's  Ghamplain 
1619,  p.  27.) 

Such  was  the  fate  of  the  man  who  whs  the 
first  to  cross  from  Lake  Ontario  to  the  Sus- 
quehanna, and  pass  from  the  villages  of  the 
Iroquois  through  the  neutral  territory  to  the 
shores  of  Lake  Huron." 


Poetry  of  Wyoming  Valley. 
John  S.  McGroarty,  of  this  city,  has  re- 
cently published  a  handsome  little  volume  of 
118  pages  on  The  Poets  and  Poetry  of  Wyo- 
ming Valley.  It  is  dedicated  to  the  com- 
piler's colleague  on  the  Sunday  Leader, 
Mr.  C.  Ben.  -Johnson.  As  the  preface  says, 
the  book  is  simply  a  collection  of  samples  of 
the  poetical  literature  of  Wyoming  Valley 
during  the  last  100  years.  The  idea  is  so 
excellent,  and  the  tidbits  furnished  are  so 
toothsome,  one  would  like  to  have  an  entire 
spread,  rather  than  the  little  lunch  which  is 
provided.  However,  the  work  can  be  ampli- 
fied in  subsequent  editions,  and  we  trust 
that  the  author  will  feel  disposed  to  do  so. 
Another  feature, which  would  render  a  future 
edition  much  more  valuable,  would 
be  its  enrichment  by  footnotes,  par- 
ticularly in  the  case-:  of  such  of 
the  writers  as  have  passed  over 
to  the  silent  majority.  For  example  it 
would  be  interesting  for  the  general  reader 
to  know  something  of  Uriah  Terry,  who  as 
early    as    1785,    poetized   the   slaughter    at 


Wyoming  which  took  place  only  seven  years 
previously:  of  James  Sinton,  who  in  1812, 
wrote  of  the  Poor  Man  and  the  Doctor;  of 
K.ehaid  Drinker,  who  in  1819  wrote  tin  Ad 
dress  to  a  Lan  Tortoise:  of  Charles  Moweiy, 
author  of  A  I'ank.'.e  Song  in  1803.  More 
familiar  names  are  those  of  Andrew  Beau- 
mont, a  distinguished  side  of  brave  sons  and 
accompl  shed  daughters;  Josiah  VVright  who 
published  the  Wilkes-Barre  Gazette  from 
1797  to  1801;  Charles  Miner,  the  historian  of 
Wyoming, publisher  of  the  Wilkes-Barre  Fed- 
eralist jrom  1802  to  1809,  andof  the  Gleaner 
until  1816;  Sarah  Miner,  the  hitter's  blind 
daughter  and  faithful  amanuensis,  whose 
will  now  on  file  in  the  Register's  Office,  is 
the  briefest  on  record;  Isaac  A.  Chapman, 
who  published  the  Wilkes-Barre  Gleaner  in 
1816-17;  Charles  F.  Welles,  (1810),  father 
of  our  townsman,  John  Welles  Hollenback; 
Amos  Sisty,  editor  of  the  Wilkes-Barre  Ad- 
vocate from  l?>'d-<  to  1843,  the  paper  whien 
in  1853,  under  the  ownership  of  William  P. 
Miner,  became  the  Recokd  of  the  Times  of 
to-day.  Of  the  writers  recently  deceased  are 
Dr.  Harrison  Wright,  Lizzie  Gordon, 
(daughter  of  the  late  historical  writer, 
James  A.  Gordon,  Esq.,)  and  Mrs.  Harriet 
Gertrude  Watres,  (Stella,  of  Lacka- 
wanna,) one  of  the  most  talented 
poets      who      ever      srraced     this      region. 

Hon.  Steuben  Jenkins,  the  most  thoroughly 
versed  Wyoming  historian  now  living  is 
represented;  Caleb  E.  Wright,  the  able 
Doylestown  lawyer,  fisherman  and  novelist; 
Susan  Evelyn  Dickinson,  sister  of  the  well- 
known  lecturer  and  actress.  Miss  Anna  Dick- 
inson; Hon.  J.  E.  Barcett,  editor  of  Scranton 
Truth;  Mrs.  M.  L.  T.  Hart-man,  author  of 
the  history  of  Huntington  Valley;  lone 
Kent,  whom  the  Record  readers  have  ad- 
mired as  "Francis  Hale  Barnard;"'  Will  S. 
Monroe,  who  was  offered  the  editorship  of 
Literary  Life  previous  to  its  offer  to  Ko^e 
Elizabeth  Cleveland;  E.  A.  Niven  and  "Tom 
Alien' '  Osborne,  of  the  Leader;  Timothy 
Parker,  the  veteran  jeweler:  Claude  G.  Whet- 
stone, of  the  Philadelphia  Times:  Mrs.  Mary 
B.  Richart,  originator  of  the  Lake  Winola 
legend:  David  M.  Jones  and  Clarence  P. 
Kidder,  the  noet-lawyers:  the  poet  physi- 
cians, Dr.  Biggins  and  Dr.  Doyle. 

rhough  not  strictly  a  Wyoming  Valley 
writer  Mr.  McGroarty  has  inserted  two  ex- 
quisitely beautiful  poems  written  by  Homer 
Greene,  of  Honesdale,  the  ones  that  made 
him  famous — My  Daughter  Louise  and  What 
My  Lover  Said. 

Some  of  the  poetrj  is  crudity  itself  and  is 
only  interesting  as  presentive  a  variety  of 
authorship.  Much  of  it  is  excellent  and  a 
credit  to  our  beautiful  and  historic  Valley. 
Other  writers — and  the  list  is  not  as  com- 
plete as  it  might  bt — are  K.  B.  Brundage,  P. 
A.  Culver,  Hattie   Clay,  P.  F.  Durkan,  S.  H. 


THE  HISTORICAL  HECOIil). 


Dad  clow,  Mary  Dale  Culver  Evans,  David 
Edmunds,  Bertha  JO.  Millard,  J.  K.  McDon- 
ald, T.  E.  Morpeth,  P.  J.  McManus.  Philip 
O'Neill,    W.   G.   Powell,  T.   P.  Ryder,  Fred. 

Shelly  Ryman,  Alice  Smith,  R.  ILTubbs. 

Mr.  McGroarty  himself  contributes  three 
pretty  creations  of  his  own — all  in  the  som- 
bre strain  peculiar  to  the  promising  young 
author  whose  verse  is  never  trilling  but  al- 
ways dignified  in  its  tone  and  pointmgsome 
good  moral  to  adorn  the  tale.  JThoagh  the 
volume  shows  evidence  oi:  undue  haste  in  its 
preparation,  yet  it  is  a  most  creditable  pro- 
duction and  well  worthy  a  place  on  the 
library  shelf  of  every  one  who  has  any  local 
pride  in  the  history  and  traditions  of  the 
Valley  of  Wyoming — made  famous  already 
in  verse  by  Campbell,  Fitz-Greene  Halleck, 
Mrs.  Sigourney  and  Coppe. 

PENNSYLVANIA   VS.  CONNECTICUT. 

Account  of  a' Meeting;  of  Luzerne  Land 
Owners  18  Year.-.  After  the  Decree  of 
Trenton,  in  Which  They  still  Defend 
the  Connecticut  Title 

[Contributed  by  Hon.  Steuben  Jenkins.] 
The  following  account  of  a  meeting  of  the 
Connecticut  Settlers  in  Old  Luzerne,  sent  me 
by  Or.  Win.  H.  Egle,  of  Harrisburg,  is  of 
some  interest  from  the  fact  that  it  was  held 
more  than  IS  years  after  the  Decree  of  Tren- 
ton, and  more  than  two  years  after  the  pass- 
age of  the  Act  of  Assembly,  whicn,  with  its 
supplements,  gave  17  of  the  disputed  towns 
to  the  settlers  for  a  mere  nnmiuai  considera- 
tion. The  residence  of  Peter  Stevens,  al- 
though at  the  time  in  the  then  township  of 
Springfield,  soon  after  was  in  Wyalnsing. 
Old  Springfield,  on  the  east  side  of  the  river, 
was  called  Wyalusing,  while  that  portion  of 
it  on  the  west  side  of  the  river  was  made  into 
Terry,  which  was  subsequently  divided  and 
a  part  of  it  called  Wilmot. 

The  meeting  tells  its  own  story,  and  shows 
how  strongly  the  settlers  believed  in  the 
right  and  justice  of  their  claim,  anci  how 
bold  and  determined  they  were  in  defending 
it  against  every  encroachment. 

At  a  Meeting  of  Delegates  from  a  number 
of  Townships  in  the  County  of  Luzerne, 
held  at  the  house  of  Peter  Stevens,  in 
Springfield,  on  the  2'2d  of  May.  1801,  to 
consult  and  advise  on  the  most  safe,  prudent, 
legal  and  Constitutional  Method  of  Defeuce 
against  any  Suits  that  are  now  pending,  or 
may  hereafter  be  brought  against  any  set- 
tlers under  the  Connecticut  Title,  Daniel 
Kinne  chosen  chairman  and  Samuel  Bald- 
win clerk. 

Whereas,  The  Constitution  of  the  United 
States  provides  that  the  judiciary  authorities 
shall  extend  to  controversies  between  citi- 
zens of  the  same  State  claiming  lands  under 
grants  of  different  States;  and 


Whereas,  By  the  laws  of  the  United  States 
it  is  provided  that,  in  actions  commenced  in 
a  State  court,  the  title  of  lands  being  con- 
cerned, and  the  parties  citizens  of  the  same 
State,  and  the  matter  in  the  dispute  exceed 
the  sum  of  500  dollars,  etc.,  either  party  be- 
fore the  trial  shall  slate  to  the  court  and 
make  affidavit,  if  the  court  require  it  that 
he  claims  and  shall  rely  upon  a  right  or  title 
to  the  lands,  under  a  grant  from  a  State 
other  than  that  in  which  the  suit  is  pending, 
etc.,  and  shall  move  that  the  adverse  party 
inform  the  court  whether  he  claims  a  right 
or  title  to  the  land  under  a  grant  from  the 
State  in  which  the  suit  is  pending:  the  said 
adverse  party  shall  give  such  information  or 
otherwise  not  be  allowed  to  plead  such  graut 
or  give  it  in  evidence  upon  the 
trial:  and  if  he  informs  that 
he  does  claim  under  such  grant,  the  party 
claiming  under  the  grant  hist  mentioned, 
may  then  on  motion,  remove  the  cause  for 
trial  to  the  next  Circuit  Court,  to  be  holden 
in  such  district,  etc. 

And  whereas.  We  have  settled  on  lands 
under  a  title  derived  from  the  State  of  Con- 
necticut, antecedent  to  the  settlement  of 
the  jurisdiction  between  the  States  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  Connecticut,  and  do  rely  upon 
a  right  or  title  to  the  lands  under  a  grant  de- 
rived from  the  Stale  of  Connecticut:  there- 
fore 

1,  Resolved,  That  we  will  in  every  legal 
and  constitutional  manner,  maintain,  sup- 
port and  defend  the  Title  to  our  Laud,  as  de- 
rived from  the  State  of  Connecticut,  in  all 
suits  commenced,  or  which  shall  be  com- 
menced in  the  Courts  of  the  State  or  of  the 
United  States,  and  that  it  be  recommended 
to  the  Settlers  claiming  and  holding  Lands 
under  the  Connecticut  Title  aforesaid,  to 
unite  with  us  in  supported  and  defending 
the  same  in  manner  aforesaid. 

2,  Resolved,  That  three  Agents  b«  ap- 
pointed to  appear  for  us  and  in  our  Names 
to  support  and  defend  the  Title  of  our 
Lands,  held  and  claimed  under  the  aforesaid 
Title  in  all  Suits  now  pending,  or  that  m^v 
hereafter  be  commenced  as  aforesaid,  with 
full  power  and  authority  to  engage  Counsel, 
learned  in  the  Law,  to  appear  for  us  and 
defend  said  Title  in  the  Courts  of 
this  State  or  of  the  United  States. 

3,  Resolved,  That  Messrs.  John  Franklin, 
John  Jenkins  and  Ezekiel  Hyde  be,  and  they 
are  hereby  appointed  Agents  for  the  pur- 
Dose.s  aforesaid. 

4,  Resolved.  That  we  will  each  of  us  ad- 
vance our  equal  proportion  in  money  ac- 
cording to  our  Interest  in  the  aforesaid 
Titles,  and  deposit  the  sa»ne  in  the  hands  of 
Agents  or  such  Person  or  Persons  as  they 
shall  appoint,  for  the  purpose  of  maintain- 
ing and  defending  our  just  Title  to  our 
Lands  aforesaid;  and  we  also  hereby  recom- 


THE  H1ST0HI0AL  HECORD. 


23 


mend  to  all  Solders  holding  Lands  and  re- 
lying on  the  Title  aforesaid,  to  advance  such 
sums,  in  proportion  to  the  Interest  they 
severally  claim  and  hold  under  such  Title, 
as  will  enable  said  Agents  to  employ  Coun- 
sel and  defray  the  nece  sary  expenses,  and 
prosecuting  and  carrying  the  foregoing  re- 
solves into  effect. 

5,  Resolved,  And  whereas  it  has  been 
represented  to  this  Meeting  Dy  an  instru- 
ment of  writing  under  the  hand  of  Abraham 
Horn,  Esq.,  the  Agent  appointed  under  the 
Act  of  the  General  Assembly  of  this  State 
passed  the  16th  of  February,  1801,  that  he 
is  authorized  to  acquaint  the  Settlers  of 
Luzerne,  that  the  Pennsylvania  Landholders, 
agreeably  to  the  Instructions  given  to  the 
Agent,  are  disposed  to  offer  an  easy  com- 
promise. 

Therefore,  Resolved  that  our  agents  be 
ana  they  are  hereby  directed  to  receive  any 
proposals  that  may  be  made  by  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Landholders  or  their  Agents  legally 
authorized  respecting  an  amicable  com- 
promise of  the  land  in  controversy  and  re- 
port such  proposals  to  the  settlers  aforesaid. 

6,  Resolved,  That  the  foregone  Resolu- 
tions be  signed  by  the  Chairman  and  Clerk, 
and  that  the  same  be  published  in  the  public 
Paners  printed  at  Wilkes-Barre. 

Signed,         Daniel  Kinne,  Chairman. 
Samuel  Baldwin,  Clerk. 


THK  REDEMPTION ERS. 


JBassett  Family  Re-Union 

A  re-union  picnic  of  the  descendants  of 
Luther  Bassett  was  held  in  Boyd's  grove, 
near  Danville,  on  Friday,  Sept.  3.  Luther 
Bassett  was  a  son  of  Jeremiah  and  Elizabeth 
Simpson  Bassett,  his  father  being  of  Irish, 
and  his  mother  of  Scotch  decent,  while  in 
the  veins  of  his  wife  ran  German  blood. 
The  family  all  told  (living  members)  num- 
bers 111,  of  whom  56  were  present.  There 
are  living  five  children,  32  grand-children, 
44  great  grand  children,  and  five  great- 
great-grand-children.  Among  those  present 
were  Dr.  W.  G.  Weaver,  of  Wilkes-Barre;  I. 
C.  Kline,  of  Kliue's  Grove,  formerly  a 
teacher  in  the  Wilkes-Barre  public  schools; 
Mrs.  Margaret  Morgan  and  three  children  of 
Kingston.  Elliot  R.  Morgan,  of  Kingston, 
is  also  a  relative. 


The  Doylestown  Intelligencer  of  Aug.  21, 
contains  a  paper  read  before  the  Bucks 
County  Historical  Society  July  27,  by  Rev. 
D.  K.  Turner  on  the  Schools  of  Neshaminy. 
The  same  print  also  contains  the  paper  on 
John  and  Jacob  Holcombe,  read  at  the  joint 
meeting  of  the  Hunterdon  County  (N.J.,) 
Historical  Society  and  the  Holcombe  family 
reunion,  on  Aug.  11,  by  Dr.  George  Hol- 
q  mbe  Larison, 


A  Philanthropic  Form  oi"  Servitude  now 
Fassed  Away — How  a  Luzerne  County 
Family  of  these  People  was  Swept 
Away  by  a  Cruel   Fatality. 

Of  all  the  conditions  of  servitude  in  thiR 
country,  those  of  the  Redemptioners  wore 
least  oppressive.  They  were  those  who, 
being  too  poor  to  pay  in  money  for  their 
ocean  passage,  contracted  absolutely  to  serve 
for  a  term  the  value  of  which  should  equal 
the  cost  of  their  transportation.  It  is  im- 
portant to  remember  that  they  were  really 
.sold.  The  "contract"  was  probably  made 
with  the  captain, or  owner  of  the  vessel  which 
brought  them, agreeing  to  bo  sold  and  bound, 
upon  arriving  here,  to  some  person  who, 
for  the  least  number  of  years  of  their  service 
to  him  would  pay  the  cost  of  their  passage. 
I  doubt  if  any  special  law  covering  this 
condition  of  servitude  was  ever  in  existence; 
it  is  probable  that  the  redemptioners  were 
governed  by  the  general  laws  referring  to 
hereditary  slaves  and  feudal  tenure.  The  cost 
of  the  voyage  at  the  time  the  earliest  settlers 
came  to  America  was  eight  or  ten  pounds 
sterling,  and  it  took  five  years  of  service  in 
1672  to  repay  this  obligation.  There  was 
little  variety  in  work  here;  it  was  usually 
agricultural  or  mere  laboring.  It  is  signifi- 
cant that,  while  the  value  of  a  white  person 
in  such  circumstances  was  ten  pounds,  that 
of  a  negro  was  twenty-five  pounds.  Negroes 
had  been  enslaved  in  Africa,  among  each 
other,  from  time  immemorial.  They  were 
first  taken  to  Europe  by  the  Portuguese  in 
1443,  and  to  America  (the  Virginia  Colony) 
by  the  Dutch  in  1020.  The  conquering 
armies  of  Christendom  likewise  u>ually  held 
their  captives  in  slavery.  To  free  the 
christians  among  these  latter  an  institution 
of  religious  monks  was  founded,  which  bore 
the  name  of  Redemptioners,  or  Trinitarians, 
and  it  is  supposed  that  our  Redemptioners 
took  this  title  from  that  institution.  Perhaps 
the  same  name  was  applied  to  the  prisoners 
of  war  sent  here.  The  Scots  taken  in  the 
field  of  Dunbar  were  sent  into  iuvoluntarj 
servitude  in  New  England:  and  the  Ru/alist 
prisoners  of  the  battle  of  Worcester,  (of 
whom  the  names  of  270  are  recorded)  and 
the  leaders  in  the  insurrection  of  Penruddoc 
were  sent  to  America.  The  fact  that  their 
servitude  was  involuntary,  however,  differen- 
tiates them  from  the  genuine  Redemptioners. 
The  Redemption  er's  term  of  service  could  be 
transferred,  but  he  was  not  in  the  position 
of  an  ordinary  white  servant,  who  was  a 
frequent  article  of  traffic,  though  the  laws 
of  the  colonies  favored  their  early  emancipa- 
tion. How  many  Redemptioners  came  to 
America  can  never  be  known;  some  came  to 


24 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Luzerne  County— among  the  rest  Conrad 
Knoch,  the  humble  narrative  of  whose 
life  is  very  pathetic,  and  probably 
typical  in  general  of  many  others. 
He  was  born  in  Germany  in  1759,  and,  like 
a  sensible  boy,  tell  in  love  with  a  girl  about 
his  own  age,  which  fired  both  of  them  with 
zeal  to  make  life  a  success.  But  they  were 
too  poor  to  be  married  in  Germany.  The 
Redemptioner's  plan  came  to  their  aid,  and 
they  landed  in  Philadelphia  about  1784, 
were  both  purchased  at  their  solicitation  by 
the  same  person,  at  whose  place  they  were 
married.  There  they  worked  like  Germans 
till  1815  or  '16,  by  which  time  they  had  not 
only  redeemed  themselves,  but  also  saved 
enough  to  purchase  128  acres  of  land  in  Lu- 
zerne County,  (Hanover  Township,)  as  well 
as  an  abundance  of  the  equipments  of  farm- 
ing, A  large  family  had  by  this  time  graced 
their  union,  and  they  all  grew  to  man  and 
woman  hood,  and  one  daughter  married  and 
became  a  mother:  but  here  interposed  one 
of  the  strange  fatalities  of  nature;  the  father 
and  mother  and  all  of  the  children  and  the 
grandchild  in  quick  succession  were  swept 
away  as  if  by  the  hand  of  God.  There  is  not 
an  heir  in  America.  The  property  descend- 
ed to  the  nephews  aud-uieces  in  Germany. 
They  sold  it  for  $1,700  to  the  Gei  man  Con- 
sul in  Philadelphia,  who  had  been  appointed 
administrator  of  the  estate  and  who  resigned 
the  office  to  purchase  the  property.  Hi^ 
heirs  now  draw  the  royalty  on  the  coal  which 
was  made  possible  by  brave  Conrad  and 
Elizabeth  Knoch. 

G.  H.  R.  Plumb. 

Indian  Paint-Stones. 

The  paint-stone  in  the  possession  of  Post- 
master Hope,  of  Paint,  Ohio,  says  a  corre- 
spondent of  the  Cincinnati  Commercial 
Gazette,  is  about  five  inches  long  and  three 
inches  broad,  and  tapers  to  an  edy;^  like  a 
stone  hatchet.  It  is  extremely  heavy  and 
looks  like  a  smooth  piece  of  polished  iron 
which  has  been  corroded,,  or  like  a  piece  of 
polished  iron  ore.  A  hole  drilled  through 
the  middle  makes  a  place  for  a  string  or 
thong  of  deer  sinew  by  which  it  was  attached 
to  his  belt  by  the  Indian  warror.  "What  was 
this  hatchet  used  for?"  I  asked  Mr.  Hope, 
picking  up  one  of  the  paint  stones.  "Do 
you  call  that  a  hatchet?"  he  remarked; 
"look  here  a  minute  and  i  will  show  you.'' 

He  picked  up  a  small  saucer  made  out  of 
granite  and  rudely  fashioned  on  the  princi- 
ple of  an  India-ink  saucer.  He  rilled  the 
hollow  of  the  saucer  with  water  and  then 
rubbed  the  "hatchet"  in  it  as  he  would  have 
done  a  cake  of  water-color  paint.  In  a  few 
minutes  he  hod  a  teaspoonfol  of  brilliant 
vermilion  paint.  Applying  seme  of  it  to 
the  back  of  his  hand  in  stripes  it  proved  to 
be    a    brilliant    vermilion   flesh  dye,  bright 


enough  to  send  the  most  dudical  Indian  beau 
into  raptures. 

"This,"  said  Mr.  Hope,  noting  my  look  of 
amazement,  "is  an  Indian  paint-stone.  It 
was  found  in  this  county  and  is  a  remark- 
ably lino  specimen .  The  Indians  were  ac- 
customed to  tie  the  paint-stones  to  their 
belts  by  means  of  thongs,  and  always  carried 
them  to  battle.  The  mode  of  manufactur- 
ing them  was  quite  remarkable.  The  Indians 
hunted  up  springs  which  contained  oxide  of 
iron.  The  iron  in  such  springs  always  floats 
on  the  top  in  the  form  of  a  scum.  This 
they  would  patiently  skim  off  the  sur- 
face with  a  rude  spoon  and  collect  it  in  a 
vessel  which  they  used  for  the  purpose. 
"When  they  had  collected  a  sufficient  amount 
of  Skimmings'  to  make  a  paint-stone  they 
added  certain  other  substances,  and  then 
molded  it  into  the  hatchet  shape  which 
characterizes  all  the  paint-stones  left  by  the 
Indians.  The  method  they  employed  in 
doing  the  molding  is  not  definitely  known. 
The  springs  in  the  neighborhood  of 
Paint  were  remarkable  for  the  amount 
of  iron  scum  they  yielded,  and  this 
region  was  a  favorite  resort  for  the  Indians 
to  make  paint-stones.  This  one  gives  a 
bright  vermilion  tint,  but  there  are  others 
which  give  a  bright  yellow  or  a  rich  purple 
tint.  With  these  colors  the  Indian  braves 
could  get  themselves  up  in  superb  style. 
They  would  rub  the  paint-stone  in  water  in 
this  stone  saucer,and  then  apply  the  stripes  to 
their  skins  directly  with  the  stone.  The  color 
which  it  yields  does  not  rub  off,  but  remains 
on  the  skin  a  long  time.  The  exact  recipe 
which  the  Indians  employed  in  making  the 
paint-stones  will  never  be  known,  but  the 
principle  of  all  the  coloring  matter  is  the 
oxido  of  iron.  This  paint- scum  can  often 
be  seen  on  the  springs  and  streams  in  this 
vicinity  now." 

The  Plumb   Family  in  America. 

G.  H.  R,  Plumb,  Esq.,  of  this  city,  — whose 
father,  Hon,  H.  B.  Plumb,  recently  pub- 
lished a  valuable  History  of  Hanover  Town- 
ship, Luzerne  County,- -is  collecting  genea- 
logical and  other  data  concerning  the 
Plumb  family  in  America,  Already  he  has 
on  his  list  a  hundred  families,  representing 
more  than  half  of  the  States  in  the  Union, 
and  he  expects  to  rind  a  thousand  morfl. 
The  family  name  is  variously  spelled  Plumb, 
Plumbe  and  Plum,  and  many  of  its  repre- 
sentatives have  become  prominent  in  busi- 
ness, theoloary,  statesmanship,  law  and  the 
fine  arts.  Lawyer  Plumb  is  rapidly  adding 
to  his  mass  of  information  by  sending  circu- 
lers  to  all  of  the  family  name  of  whom  he 
can  learn. 

In  1800  the  population  of  the  countv  was 
only  12,839. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 

Interesting  Proceedings  at  the  Quarterly 
Meeting  --  Valuable  Contributions  — 
Electing  New  Members— Preparations 
for  the  County  Centennial. 

The  Wyoming  Historical  and  Geological 
Society  held  its  quarterly  meeting  Septl  10. 
President  E.  L.  Dana  was  in  the  chair.  A. 
H.  McClintock  read  the  minutes.  The  list 
of  contributions  was  read  and  a  vote  of 
thanks  passed  to  the  donors.  The  individual 
contributors  were:  A.  J.  Hill,  M.  J.  Griffin, 
G.  B.  Kulp,  G.  M.  Lung,  Hon.  J.  A.  Scran- 
ton,  C.  VV.  Darling,  C.  B.  Dougherty,  Hon. 
K.  H.  McKune,  Prof.  J.  C.  Branner,  Hon.  C. 
A.  Miner,  J.  G.  Rosengarten,  Robert  Baur, 
F.  C.  Johnson,  Rev.  J.  B.  Gross,  Lt.  A.  VV. 
Vogdes,  Dr.  Harvey,  John  Reichard,  Mich 
ael  Roe,  Wm.  D.  Averill,  Dr.  W.  H.  Egle,  L. 
H.  Low,  A.  P.  Kunkle,  A.  H.  Welles,  H.  C. 
Wilson.  E.  B.  Yordy,  W.  P.  Morgan,  Dr  W. 
H.  Sharpe,  S.  Reynolds,  Record,  Neics- 
Dealer,  A,  E.  Foote,  U.  S.  Commissioner  of 
Patents. 

The  societies  contributing  were  Natural 
History  Society  of  New  Brunswick.  Histori- 
cal societies  of  Virginia,  Indiana,  Iowa, 
Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  Irish  Catholic 
Benevolent  Union,  Lackawanna  Institute  of 
History  and  Science,  Dauphin  County  His- 
torical Society,  American  Philosophical 
Society,  American  Antiquarian  Society, Pea- 
body  Museum,  Carbondale  Y.  M.  L.  A., 
Presbyterian  Historical  Society,  Brookville 
Society  of  Natural  History,  Science'. Canadian 
Institute,  Library  Company  of  Philadelphia. 
Yale  College,  United  States  Geological 
Survev,  Old  Residents'  Historical  Associa- 
tion, 

George  M.  Lung  presented  some  relics  of 
the  Moravian  settlement  near  Wyalusinjr  in 
the  last  century:  John  Reichard,  To  speci- 
mens of  Colorado  minerals:  H.  C.  Wilson. 
Mt.  Vernon,  0.,  Indian  relics:  b' 
drills,  perforated  stone,  box  of  bone 
ashes,  cement  used  in  graves,  two  axes, 
7  celts,  and  2'25  spear  or  arrow  points, 
Mr.  Wilson  believes  that  he  can  trace  the 
development  of  arrow-making  in  the  speci- 
mens which  he  has  collected — several  thous- 
and in  number— -and  he  believes  the  •riried" 
variety  to  be  the  perfection  of  the  !o-t  art. 
It  has  a  rifled  or  beveled  edge,  which  i-ives 
it  a  spiral  motion  when  in  flight.  Nearly  ail 
the  specimens  he  sends  are  from  Knox 
County.  Ohio,  though  one  ax  was  found  in 
Bonaparte  Park,  Bordentowu,  N  J.,  1 L  feet 
below  the  surface.  He  sends,  from  a  grave 
opened  near  Frederick-town,  ().,  by  himself 
and  son,  some  decayed  wood,  burnt  bones 
and  a  lump  of  cement,  the  grave  containing 
two  skeletons. 

Morgan,  Bros.  &  Co.  presented  the  first 
factory-made    shoe    ever  made    in   Wilkes- 


Barre,  and  turned  out  of  their  factory  in  Dec- 
ember, 1882. 

Letters  were  read  from  Brinton  Coxe,  of 
Philadelphia,    and  George   E.  Waring,    of 

Newport,    accepting  and  returning  thanks 
for  their  election  as  corresponding  members. 

Judge  Dana  submitted  his  report  a-;  met- 
eorologist, of  which  the  following  is  a 
synopsis: 

The  average  temperature  for  August  was 
63  1-10  degrees,  as  compared  with  (J(5>o  in 
IBS.")-,  70  in  1881:  00  in  1883. 

Average  temperature  for  July  was  67,  as 
compared  with  72  in  1885,  lV/%  in  1884,  73 
in  1883. 

Rain  fall  in  August  was  3.12  inches,  as 
compared  with  7.77  in  1885,  3.41  in  1884. 
3.84  in  1883. 

Rain  fall  in  July  was  3.02.  as  compared 
with  3  10  in  1885,  4.59  in  1881  6.41  in 
1883. 

Rain  fall  in  June,  188G,  was  2.81,  2.44  in 
1885,  3.24  in  1884,  8  12  in  1883. 

Rain  fall  in  Mav,  188(3.  was  7  inches,  2.G3 
in  18S5,  4.27  in  1884,  5.28  in  1883. 

Mr.  Reynolds  acknowledged  the  receipt  of 
the  portraits  of  Wilkes  and  Bane,  for  whom 
Wilkes-Barre  is  named,  from  the  Estate  of 
Washington  Lee. 

Rev.  H.  E.  Hayden  presented  a  photograph 
of  a  burial  urn  found  on  the  island  of 
Ossabau,  on  the  coast  of  Georgia.  It  con- 
tained the  bones  of  an  infant  child  and  is  in 
the  posses-ion  of  Mr.  Wm.  Harden,  librarian 
of  the  Historical  Society  of  Georgia,  who 
sends  to  the  Wyoming  Society. 

For  corresponding  membership  the  fol- 
lowing were  proposed:  Wm.  M.  Darlington, 
LL.  D.,  of  Pitt-burg,  and  Samuel  VV.  Penny- 
packer,  of  Philadelphia,  Dr.  D.  G.  Brinton, 
of  the  Academy  of  Sciences,  Philadelphia, 
Col.  J.  A.  Price  and  W.  A.  Wilcox,  president 
and  corresponding  secretary  respectively  of 
the  Lackawanna  In.-tnute  of  History  and 
Science:  also  Hon.  Steuben  Jenkins,  for 
honorary  membership.  Benjamin  F.  Mor- 
gan. E.  VV.  Horton,  F.  A.  Phelps  and  J.  E. 
Patterson  were  elected  to  membership. 

Dr.  Charles  F.  Ingham,  the  society's  con- 
chologist,  read  a  most  interesting  and 
scholarly  paper  on  meteors,  with  special 
reference  to  a  supposed  meteor  found  on  the 
farm  of  J.  Crockeit,  in  Ross  Township,  and 
now  in  possession  of  the  society.  Hh  pro- 
nounced the  stone,  which  is  about  the  size  of 
a  human  head,  not  of  meteoric  origin.  Dr. 
Ingham  believes  it  to  be  anorthite,  brought 
here  m  the  drift  period  from  the  St.  Law- 
rence or  the  Great  Lake  region. 

Judge  Dana  brought  up  the  subject  of 
observing  the  centenary  of  the  erection  of 
Lnzerne  County  and  stated  that  he  had  been 
pr  nnised  the  co-operation  of  Dr.  W.  H. 
Egle,  Co!.  Frank  Stewart.  Kev.  David  Craft, 
Hon.   P.   M.    Osterhout,    Dr.  H.   Hollister, 


20 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Rev.  S.  S.  Kennedy,  I).  M.  Jones,  Esq., 
Hon.  C.  15.  Kin-.  Hon.  Stanlej  Woodward, 
Hon.  H.  B.  Pluoib,  VV.  1'.  Ryman,  Esq.,  and 
Hon.  H.  M.  Hoy  .  The  d  it«  tails  upon 
Sept-  23,  and  it  was  ordered  that  a  meeting 
of  the  society  be  held  on  that  day  at  lu  am., 
to  listen  to  histori  al  addresses.  The  Chair 
was  em  [towered  to  appoint  the  nece.-sary 
commiLttees. 


LUZERNE'S  FIRST  Ch.M'URY. 


The  Occasion  Commemorated  by  a  Pub- 
lic Meeting  Under  the  Auspices  of  the 
Wyoming-  Historical  ami  Geological 
Society. 

It  was  on  the  25th  of  September,  1780, 
that  Luzerne  County  was  erected  and  the 
centennial  of  that  event  was  commemorated 
with  interesting  exercises.  The  celebration 
was  very  properlj  held  in  the  court  house. 
Judge  Woodward  adjourning  court  at  10 
o'clock,  out  of  compliment  to  the  historic 
occasion,  Luzerne  County  has  had  no  less 
than  three  centennial  celebrations— that  in 
1872,  in  honor  of  the  laying  out  of  Wilkes- 
Barre;  in  1870,  in  common  with  the  Nation- 
al Centennial,  and  in  1878,  the  100th  anni- 
versary of  the  battle  and  massacre  of 
Wyoming.  This  being  the  case  the  present 
centennial  lacked  the  feature  of  novelty  and 
was  permitted  to  pass  without  the  pomp  and 
cirenmstance  usually  incident  to  such  occa- 
sions. The  Wyoming  Historical  Society  de- 
termined to  not  let  the  occasion  go  by  un- 
observed and  a  meeting  was  arranged  for, 
Gen.  E.  L.  Dana  being  the  chief  mover  in 
the  matter. 

The  hour  set  was  10  o'clock,  at  which  time 
Judge  Woodward  was  still  on  the  bench.  He 
stated  that  in  view  of  the  historic  event,  so 
important  to  the  county  history,  he  had  ad- 
journed the  court  and  ordered  the  fa"t  to  be 
spread  upon  the  day's  minutes  as  a  perpet- 
ual record.  The  Judge  then  went  on  to  give 
some  historical  data.  He  proceeded  to  read 
from  the  statute  for  erecting  the  county, 
which  was  an  Act  of  Sept.  25.  1780.  It  pro- 
vided that  Luzerne  County  be  set  off  from 
the  northern  portion  of  Northumberland 
County.  He  exhibited  the  first  coutinuance 
docket  or  minute  book  of  the  county  organ- 
ized under  the  statute,  from  which  it  ap- 
peared that  the  first  session  of  court  was  held 
May  20,  1787,  in  the  house  of  Zebulon  But- 
ler. The  first  business  was  to  organize.  Dr. 
William  Hooker  Smith,  Benjamin  Carpenter, 
James  Nesbitt,  Timothy  Bickering,  Obadiah 
Gore,  Nathan  Kingsley  and  Matthias  Hollen- 
back  were  sworn  in  as  justices  of  the  peace. 
Timothy  Bickering — who  might  have  served 
as  a  prototype  for  Gilbert  A:  Sullivan's  Poo 
Bah  in  the  "Mikado" — was  made  prothono- 
tary,  clerk  of  the  Beace  and  of  the  Orphans' 
Court,   register   of   wills   and   recorder  of 


deeds.  Joseph  Sprague  was  made  court 
crier.  Lord  Butler,  the  first  sheriff  of  the 
county,  was  instructed  to  take  measures  for 
the  eroction  of  a  jail. 

Judge  Woodward  exhibited  the  commis- 
sion of  Sheriff  Butler,  who  was  a  grand- 
father oi  the  Judge's  wife.  It  bears  the  sig- 
nature of  Benj.uniu  Franklin.  The  legal 
practitioners  who  wire  sworn  in  were  Eben- 
ezct-  Bowman,  Putnam  Catlin,  Rosewell 
Welles  and  Win.  Nichols.  The  speaker  ex- 
hibited the  first  legal  paper,  a  capias,  Sept. 
Term,  1787,  Samuel  Allen  vs.  Henry  Bur- 
ney,  Catlin  attorney.  At  that  time  the  county 
contained  only  2,700  taxables,  now,  the 
same  territory  has  a  population  of 
nearly  half  a  million.  Having  concluded  his 
hasty  retrospect  Judge  Woodward  said  he 
would  come  down  from  the  bench  and  turn 
over  the  meeting  to  its  proper  custodian, 
the  Historical  Society. 

Judge  Dana,  president  of  the  society,  took 
the  chair  and  after  a  few  appropriate  re- 
marks called  upon  Bev.  E.  Hazard  Snowden, 
the  oldest  minister  in  the  county,  to  open 
the  exercises,  and  he  addressed  the  throne  of 
grace  in  language  peculiarly  adapted  to  the 
occasion. 

Mr.  C.  B^n.  Johnson  read  letters  of  regret 
from  Gov.  Pattison,  the  Rt.  Rev.  William 
Bacon  Stevens,  Dr  Coppee,  of  Lehigh 
University;  Charles  J.  Hoadley,  State  Libra- 
rian of  Connecticut;  W.  S.  Stryker,  Adjutant 
General  of  New  Jersey;  Henry  B.  Dawson, 
the  New  York  historian:  Miss  Emily  C. 
Blackman,  author  of  "History  of  Susque- 
hanna County;"  Rev.  Dr.  David  Craft,  the 
historian  of  Wyalusing.  Mr.  Hoadley  sent 
an  interesting  contribution — the  commis- 
sion of  Jonathan  Fitch  as  first  Sheriff  of 
Westmoreland,  dated  Hartford,  Nov.  28, 
1776. 

Judge  Dana  read  a  brief  but  valuable 
paper — by  Dr.  Hollister,  of  Providence,  who 
was  unable  to  attend— on  the  "Birth  of 
Luzerne  County."  In  it  reference  was  made 
to  the  attempt  to  locate  the  count j -seat  on 
the  west  side  of  the  Susquehanna,  and  of 
Ethan  Allen's  scheme  to  bring  his  Green 
Mountain  Boys  here  and  establish  an  inde- 
pendent government  in  Wyoming. 

Hon.  Steuben  Jenkins,  the  veteran  Wyom- 
ing historian,  read  a  paper  descriptive  of 
the  government  of  Wyoming  prior  to  the 
erection  of  Luzerne  County.  It  had  to  deal 
with  the  Quarter  Sessions,  the  speaker  said, 
as  Judge  Woodward  had  with  the  Common 
Bleas.  The  troublous  times  were  described, 
as  also  the  local  dissatisfaction  with  the  new 
regime,  which  placed  all  the  offices  of  pro- 
fit in  the  hands  of  a  single  individual, 
Timothy  Bickering,  and  he  a  Pennamite. 
The  paper  was  a  valuable  contribution  to 
local  history. 

Mr.  C.  I.  A.  Chapman  took  exceptions  to 


THE  HISTOIUCAL  RECORD, 


27 


the  language  of  the  Act  changing  the 
boundary  pi  the  new  county.  He  made  the 
point  that  instead  of  changing  the  western 
boundary  from  W  to  N  J  degree  W,  as  pro- 
vided by  the  act,  the  change  contemplated 
was  from  \V  to  N80  degrees  W.  The  latter 
represented  the  contemplated  change  of  one 
degree,  while  the  former  implies  a  change  of 
80  degrees,  which  was  not  contemplated. 
Mr.  Jenkins  replied  that  he  was  aware  of  the 
technicial  error,  but  lie  could  not  change  the 
language  of  the  Act. 

A  most  elaborate  and  scholarly  paper  was 
presented  by  Hon.  E.  L.  Dana  on  the  Che- 
valier de  la  Luzerne,  from  whom  the  county 
derived  its  name.  Most  of  the  subject  mat- 
ter was  entirely  new,  having  been  obtained 
by  the  speaker's  son  from  the  unpublished 
archives  of  the  French  Government.  The 
paper  revealed,  what  few  people  are  aware 
of,  how  warm  a  friend  Luzerne  was  to  the 
struggling  colonists  and  the  practical  aid 
given  by  him  to  the  American  cause.  Not 
the  least  interesting  was  the  official  advice 
to  Luzerne  of  the  naming  of  a  county  for 
him,  together  with  his  reply,  which  was  re- 
plete with  words  expressive  of  his  love  for 
America  and  for  Pennsylvania,  in  which  he 
had  lived  for  a  time. 

The  assistance  given  by  the  Paxtang 
Rangers  to  the  Connecticut  settlers  at  Wy- 
oming in  their  contest  with  with  the  Pen- 
namites  was  graphically  portrayed  by  Dr. 
W.  H.  Egle,  of  Harrisburg,  who  read  an 
admirable  paper  on  "  The  House  of  Lancas- 
ter to  the  Rescue."  Dr.  Egle  was  probably 
the  best  reader  of  the  day,  and  his  portrait- 
ure of  the  Hardy  Scotch-Irish  Presbyterians 
who  rallied  to  the  standard  of  the  Yankees 
in  their  struggle  against  what  they  believed  to 
be  the  tyranny  of  Pennsylvania  was  graphic 
in  the  extreme.  Dr.  Egle  is  one  of  the  most 
extensive  historical  writers  in  the  Common- 
wealth and  the  Historical  Society  was  fortu 
nate  in  securing  his  presence.  His  address 
was  warmly  received  and  generously  ap- 
plauded. 

At  this  juncture  the  meeting  adjourned 
until  2  pm.,  when  the  regular  order  was 
again  taken  up,  the  first  exercise  being  an 
original  poem  by  Attorney  David  M.  Jones, 
which  was  greeted  with  hearty  applause. 

Rev.  S.  S.  Kennedy,  traveling  agent  of  the 
Luzerne  County  Bible  Society,  sent  an  en- 
tertaining paper,  giving  a  historical  sketch 
of  the  township  of  Abingtnn,  originally  in 
Luzerne,  but  now  in  Lackawanna,  and  it 
was  reod  in  part  by  the  chairman. 

Another  of  the  old  townships — Putnam — 
was  written  up  by  P.  M.  Osterhout,  Esq.,  of 
Tunkhannock,  who  was  present,  and  read 
his  paper.  It  gave  an  amount  of  valuable 
data. 

F.  C.  Johnson  gave  a  synopsis  of  a  paper 


now  bein<;  prepared  by  him,  presenting  what 

is  virtually  a  chapter  of  unwritten  history, 
referred  to  by  only  one  historian,  Miner, 
and  disposed  of  by  him  in  a  sentence  or 
two.  The  subject  was  "The  Proposed  Kxo- 
dus  of  Wyoming  Settlers  in  1783."  In  that 
year  the  Connecticut  settlers  in  Wyoming, 
discouraged  by  the  Decree  of  Trenton,  which 
had  decided  the  land  controversy  in  favor  of 
tho  Pennamites,  determined  to  seek  the 
friendly  shelter  of  another  State.  A  petition 
was  drawn  up  and  signed  by  400  settlers, 
asking  the  Assembly  of  New  York  to  grant  a 
tract  of  lands  on  the  Susquehanna, beginning 
near  the  Pennsylvania  line  and  continuing 
to  Onoquago,  immediate  settlement  to  be 
made.  The  memorial  was  taken  to  Albany 
by  Obadiah  Gore,  on  horseback,  where  it 
met  with  favorable  action  of  both  Senate 
and  Assembly.  The  exodus  never  took 
place,  as  such,  though  some  of  the  petition- 
ers did  seek  a  retreat  along  the  waters  of  the 
upper  Susquehanna.  As'  time  passed  by, 
Pennsylvania  rule  was  found  less  oppressive 
than  had  been  anticipated  and  the  Wyoming 
people  remained  on  their  possessions.  The 
paper  was  interesting  as  being  made  up  of 
new  material,  the  original  petition,  with 
signatures,  having  been  furnished  the 
sneaker  by  the  secretary  of  the  Oneida 
Historical  Society,  and  most  of  tho  other 
matter  having  been  found  among  the  State 
historical  records  at  Albany. 

William  P.  Miner,  Esq.,  for  many  years 
editor  and  proprietor  of  the  Wilkes-Barre 
Recokd.  read  a  most  entertaining  paper  on 
the  progress  of  printing  in  Luzerne  County. 
The  paper  began  with  an  account  of  his  trip 
on  horseback  from  West  Chester  to  Wilkes- 
Barre  in  September,  1832,  having  been  pro- 
moted from  the  office  of  assistant  devil  in 
the  We=t  Chester  Village  Record  to  the  posi- 
tion of  imp  of  the  ink  balls  in  the  office  of 
the  Wyoming  Herald  printed  and  published 
by  Asher  Miner  and  Steuben  Butler.  Mr. 
Miner  described  the  primitive  method  by 
which  the  Herald  was  printed  on  a  Ram  age 
press,  inked  with  wool-stuffed  buckskin  balls 
held  in  each  hand.  Mr.  Miner  alluded  to 
these  papers  in  his  possession:  Wilkes-Barre 
Gazette,  1797  to  1800;  Luzerne  Federalist, 
1801  to  1811;  Gleaner,  1811  to  1818;  as  well 
as  many  subsequent. 

C.  I.  A.  Chapman  was  called  upon  and 
made  some  extempore  remarks  on  the 
changes  in  the  landmarks  of  justice  which  he 
had  witnessed  in  his  lifetime— one  the  inca- 
pacity of  woman  to  possess  property  in  her 
own  right,  the  other  imprisonment  for  debt, 
and  his  recollection,  when  a  boy,  of  seeing 
Rufus  Bennett,  the  last  survivor  of  the  Wy- 
oming masacre  in  jail  for  a  paltry  debt  of  a 
few  dollars.  Mr.  Chapman  exhibited  a  draw- 
ing of  the  old  public  square,  made   by  him 


28 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


20  years  ago  from  memory,and  showing  the 
buildings  as  they  appeared  about  1840.  The 
picture  excited  general  interest. 

The  chairman  called  for  extempore  re- 
marks upon  Rev.  Dr.  N.  G.  Parke,  Dr.  An- 
drew Bedford,  of  Waverly,  who  has  been  a 
Luzerne  medical  practitioner  upwards  of  60 
years;  Mrs.  M.  L.  Hartman,  author  of  a 
History  of  Huntington  Valley:  Dr.  Harry 
Hakes,  Hon.  Lewis  Fughe,  Wesley  Johnson. 
Hon.  L.  D.  Shoemaker,  Rev.  H.  E.  Hay  den, 
and  Evert  Bogardus,  Esq.,  of  Norwalk, 
Ohio.  All  responded  briefly.  Mr.  Boeardus 
gave  some  interesting  reminiscences.  Tho 
sou  of  Jacob  I.  tJog-irdus,  he  was  horn  in 
three  townships — Bedford,  afterwards  called 
Dallas  and  subsequently  set  off  a*  Lehman. 
He  remembered  when  his  father's  nearest 
neighbor  was  Thomas  Case.  2  miles  north; 
John  YYhiteman,  2  miles  northwest;  Amos 
Brown,  21<  miles  east.  Mr.  Bogardus  was 
still  loyal  to  old  Lu^rne,  and  pronounced  it 
the  finest  region  he  had  ever  seen. 

The  Luzerne  Bar  and  Bench  were  largely 
represented,  also  the  court  house  officials. 
Among  the  out-of-tOAii  visitors  were  W.  A. 
Wilcox,  Esq.,  Scranton;  ALvin  Day,  Tunk- 
hannock;  Fierce  Butler,  Garbondale:  Rev. 
H.  11.  Welles,  of  Kingston,  H.  B.  Plumb, 
Esq.,  author  of  "History  of  Hanover  Town- 
ship;" Col.  Allabach,  of  Washington,  the 
Mexican  veteran  who  carried  the  American 
flag  in  the  charge  on  Cherubusco:  Rev.  J.  K. 
Peck,  preacher  and  author:  Will  S.  Monroe, 
a  descendant  of  John  Franklin  and  Capt. 
Ransom;  Miss  Geraldine  Culver,  sister  of  the 
writers. 

Prior  to  adjournment  at  4:30  Judge  Dana 
announced  that  the  several  papers  would  be 
published  by  the  society. 

REV.  BOSTWICK  HAWLEY. 


A  Clergyman  of  40  If  ears  Ago  Writes  His 
"  Reminiscences  of  Wilkes-Barre  and  En- 
closes   an     Original      Letter     of      Hon. 
Charles  Miner. 

The  Record  is  enabled,  through  the  cour- 
tesy of  Mr.  G.  S.  Bennett. to  lay  before  its  read- 
ers an  interesting  letter  from  Rev.  Dr.  Bost- 
wick  Hawley,  who  preached  to  the  Methodist 
congregation  here  in  1847.  He  is  very 
pleasantly  remembered  by  our  older  citizens, 
who  will  be  glad  to  hear  from  him  and  to 
know  that  he  is  enjoying  a  ripe  old  age  in 
Saratoga.     His  letter  is  as  follows: 

Geokge  Slocum  Bennett,  A.M.— Esteemed 
Friend:  After  a  lapse  of  twenty-two  years  I 
have  read  for  a  second  time  t  lie  History  of  Wy- 
oming, by  my  late  and  excellent  friend,  the 
Rev.  George  Peek,  D.  D.,  and  with  deep  in- 
terest. Though  more  than  forty  years  have 
passed  since  I  became  the  pastor  of  the 
First  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  and  a 
resident  of  Wilkes-Barre,  this  re-reading  of 


the  instructive  volume  took  mo  in  vivid 
thought  over  the  whole  valley,  as  it  then 
was— beautiful,    fertile,   enterprising,  from 

the  Narrows  and  Campbell's  Ledge  on  tho 
north  to  Nantieoke  and  Plymouth  on  the 
south,  including  the  two  central  points, 
Wilkes-Barre  and  the  "Plains"  on  one  side-  of 
the  Susquehanna  and  Wyoming  and  Forty 
Forty  Fort  on  the  other.  Wilkes-Barre  was 
then  a  beautiful  village,  and  Wyoming  was  a 
rural  gem.  The  whole  region  was  unbroken 
and  unmarred  by  cording  operations  and 
by  railroads,  except  the  Baltimore 
mine  near  at  hand.  Jacob's  Plains, 
where  I  preached  once  in  two 
weeks,  was  a  beautiful  region  of  farms  and 
farm  houses.  In  the  little  white  church, 
now  displaced  by  a  larger  one.  was  gathered 
an  intelligent  congregation  and  an  excellent 
Sunday  school.  Of  them  I  distinctly  remem- 
ber the  Stark,  Carey,  and  Abbott  families. 
The  laie  Rev.  W.  P.  Abbott,  eloquent  and 
popular,  was  then  a  Sunday  school  lad,  on 
whose  head  I  gently  placed  my  hand  and  said, 
'You  will  make  a  man  yet."  So  he  inform- 
ed me  when  he  was  a  pastor  in  Albany,  N. 
Y.,  and  that  he  had  thenco  on  kept  track  of 
me. 

Tho  large,  intelligent  and  wealthy  congre- 
gation that  then  worshiped  in  the  old,  his- 
toric and  tall-steepied  white  church  on  1  lie 
Square,  included  many  whose  names  and 
features  live  pleasantly  in  my  memory: 
among  them  are  your  honored  parents  and 
their  then  unbroken  family;  Pierce  and 
Lord  Butler,  my  next-door  neighbors,  the 
Hon.  Andrew  Beaumont  and  family,  the 
Hollenbacks,  Judge  Conyngham,  Gen.  Ross 
and  family,  the  Wood  families,  Sharp  D. 
Lewis  and  family,  two  of  whom  then  died  as 
verging  to  maturity,  Rev.  B.  Bidlack,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Drake,  W.  W.  Loomis,  the  Keslers, 
Father  Moister,  McAlpine  and  others,  whose 
portraits  adorn  the  walls  of  my  mind.  The 
family  of  the  Hon.  Charles  Miner,  the  his- 
torian, to  whose  volume  Dr.  Peck  frequently 
refers,  and  whose  rural  home  was  near  by, 
is  vividly  recalled  because  of  the  intelligence 
of  its  several  members,  especially  of  Sarah, 
cultured  and  interesting  in  her  blindness. 
Poet,  musician,  and  dexterous,  she  was 
highly  attractive  and  much  beloved. 

My  residence  at  Wyoming,  then  New 
Troy,  was  more  quiet  and  every  way  agree- 
able. The  newly  formed  class  was  by  me 
organized  into  a  church;  the  old,  weather- 
beaten  house  of  worship,  long  unoccupied, 
was  remodeled  and  improved,  and  tilled  at 
the  morning  and  evening  services  by  atten- 
tive audiences.  My  charge  included  also 
Forty  Fort  and  what  is  now  West  Pittston. 
Among  the  historic  and  honored  families 
whose  descendants  then  lived  in  that  region, 
are  those  of  Myers.  Jenkins,  Denison,  Swet 
land,  Lee,  Shoemaker,  Wadhams  ,  Pettebone 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


29 


and  to  these  I  will  add  my  well  known 
friend,  the  Rev.  Dr.  Nelson.  The  delightful 
associations  of  those  days  were  short.  The 
constituted  authorities  of  the  church,  think- 
ing my  services  were  more  needed  in  an- 
other and  larger  place,  removed  me  at  the 
expiration  of  one  year,  and  much  to  the  re- 
gret of  my  family.  Unco  only  since  those 
times  have  I  visited  that  region,  the  same, 
but  greatly  changed. 

The  two  chapters  of  the  volume,  the  read- 
ing of  which  occasions  this  communication, 
and  which  most  interested  me,  are  those 
that  contained  the  narratives  of  the  original 
Myers  family  and  of  Frances  Slocnm,  your 
great  aunt,  the  long  lost  captive,  borne  away 
by  the  Delawares.  Well  did  I  know  her 
brother  Joseph,  your  grandfather,  as  also 
his  manly  sons  and  womanly  daughters. than 
whom  none  were  more  useful  or  respected. 
I  clearly  call  to  mind  in  outlines  the  thrilling 
narratives  of  ttie  visits  made  by  your  grand- 
father and  two  of  Ins  daughters  to  the  forest 
home  of  the  lost  and  found  one,  thriliingly 
interesting  to  me  because  of  the  character 
and  nearness  of  the  parties.  I  now  see  in 
imagination  the  Indian-like  portrait  of  your 
great  aunt  as  it  forty  years  ago  hung  on  the 
west  wall  of  the  parlor  of  the  homestead. 
After  this  second  reading  I  am  induced  to 
think  that  the  historic  name  of  that  heroine 
of  the  valley.  Martha  Bennet,  is  retained  in 
your  family  and  borne  by  your  sister,  Mrs. 
Phelps.  [Mr.  Hawley  is  in  error  here  as  to 
the  relationship.  The  Ziba  Bennett 
family  of  to-day  is  not  the  same  as  the 
Bennet  family  of  Revolutionary  days.  The 
gentleman  to  whom  this  letter  is  addressed 
comes  from  pioneer  stock  on  his  mother's 
side  only.— Ed.]  As  the  aged  and  good 
woman  died  so  late  as  1853,  I  am  almost 
sure  that  I  had  the  pleasure  of 
her  acquaintance  and  visited  her 
home.  But  I  am  trespassing.  My 
apology  is  the  pleasant  reminiscences  evoked 
from  the  dim  past,  and  also  that  I  have  re- 
tained these  many  years,  with  other  papers 
and  letters,  one  written  to  me  by  the  Hon. 
Charles  Miner,  which  I  send  to  you  for 
preservation.  It  is  a  response  to  an  invita- 
tion that  he  speak  at  a  Sunday  school  anni- 
versary, when  your  honored  fattier  was  the 
superintendent,  and  your  mother  and  aunts 
were  actively  engaged  as  teachers  in  the 
school.  I  recall  the  platform  built  over  the 
chancel,  the  baskets  of  '"goodies"  under  the 
platform  awaiting  distribution  to  the 
scholars.  Yourself  and  Martha  were  then 
among  the  juveniles.  Not  being  able  to 
render  the  desired  services,  Mr.  Miner  re- 
sponded in  the  words  of  the  beautifully 
written  letter  I  herewith  send  to  you  as 
a  part  of  this  communication.  The  follow- 
ing is  the  letter  retained  as  a  keepsake  thes8 
thirty-nine  years, 


Reteeat,  June  25;  1*17.— Rev.  B.  Haw- 


ley:   Rev.  and  Dear  Sir:    The  first  impuh 

of  my  heart  was  to  say    "yes"    to    your  lla 


Ise 
your  let- 
tering invitation,  but  sober  second  thought 
admonishes  me  that  a  deaf  man  cannot  be 
either  a  pleasing  or  an  effective  speaker,  the 
ear  being  sj  necessary  to  the  proper  modu- 
lation of  the  voice.  It  would  give  me  unaf- 
fected pleasure  to  do  what  would  be  agree- 
able to  yourself,  or  to  your  society,  which  i 
so  highly  regard.  I  am  sure  that  you  will 
agree  with  me  that  true  wisdom  indicates  to 
one  of  my  age,  deafness  and  imperfect 
health,  to  eschew,  however  attractive,  the 
scenes  of  public  excitement,  and  with  cheer- 
ful resignation  to  cultivate  those  simple 
pleasures  which  my  books-  the  cottage 
grounds  and  our  domestic  circle  can  afTord. 
Very  respectfully  your  friend, 

ClIAIiLKS    MlNEB." 

With  pleasant  recollections  of  the  long 
past,  and  with  kind  regards  to  all  who  re- 
call me.  1  am  very  truly  yours, 

Bostwiok  Hawley. 

Saratoga  Springs,  N.  Y.,  Sept.  15,  188V. 

A  Historic  Apple  Tree. 

[Bethlehem    Times.) 

Last  week  F.  H.  Huth.  while  on  a  trip  to 
the  West,  stopped  with  relatives  living  iu 
Gnadenhutten.  Tuscarawas  County,  0.,  an 
old  Moravian  settlement.  Among  other 
places  of  interest  visited  was  the  old  burying 
ground  where,  among  other  trees,  stands  an 
apple  tree  which  was  planted  in  1774  by 
Christian  Indians.  This  tree  was  planted 
eight  years  before  the  massacre  of  ninety- 
six  Christian  Indians  at  Gnadenhuettan,  on 
the  Tuscarawas  River,  by  a  band  of  white 
settlers,  which  occurred  on  March  8,  1782. 
The  apple  tree,  still  iu  good  bearing  condi- 
tion, remains  a  living  monument  in  memory 
of  those  Christian  Indians  whose  remains 
sleep  beneath  the  sod  once  tilled  by  their 
own  hands,  and  now  shaded  by  the  trees 
which  were  planted  by  them  over  a  hundred 
years  ago.  The  tree  remains  also  as  a  sad 
reminder  of  the  treachery  of  those  white 
settlers  who  commited  the  massacre. 


Death  of  an  Octogenarian. 

The  Hobbie  Old  says  that  Anthony  Good, 
one  of  the  pioneers  of  Hollenback  Valley, 
died  at  his  late  home  near  Hobbie  on  Sun- 
day. For  several  weeks  he  failed  very 
rapidly,  and  his  death  was  the  resuit  of  the 
wearing  out  of  the  vital  forces.  Anthony 
Good  was  born  in  Whitehall  Township, 
Lehigh  County.  Pa.,  March,  1805.  His 
wife  preceded  hiin  to  the  grave  by  about 
five  and  a  half  years.  The  union  was  blessed 
with  twenty-nine  grandchildren,  seventeen 
of  whom  are  living. 


30 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


FRANCES  SLOCUM'S  RELICS. 

A  Tragic  Story  Recalled  by  the  Placing  on 
Exhibition  of  a  Number  of  Articles 
Once  Belonging:  to  the  Lost  Sinter  of 
Wyoming. 

The  Recoiid  recently  reprinted  from  a 
Western  paper  an  item  to  the  effect  that 
some  relics  once  belonging  to  Frances  Slo- 
cum,  the  Lost  Sister,  whose  romantic  his- 
tory is  known  the  world  over,  had  recently 
been  found  in  Wabash  County,  Indiana. 
The  item  was  so  brief  and  unsatisfactory 
that  inquiries  were  sent  to  the  locality  men- 
tioned, from  which  it  is  learned  that 
while  trie  facts  were  somewhat  dis- 
torted there  was  much  of  truth  in  the 
published  reports. 

Most  of  the  articles  referred  to  are 
owned  by  Gabriel  Godfroy,  of  Peru, 
Ind.,  who  married  a  grand-daughter 
of  Frances  Slocum,  and  by  whom 
they  were  entrusted  to  the  Grand  Army 
of  the  Republic  for  their  Loan  Art  Ex- 
hibition held  August  9,  in  Wabash, 
Ind., and  in  whose  elaborate  catalogue 
(kindly  sent  us  by  the  editor  of  the 
WabasJi  Courier),  they  are  duly  en- 
umerated. 

For  the  benefit  of  such  of  our  young- 
er readers  as  are  not  familiar  with 
the  narrative,  a  brief  sketch  of  Fran- 
ces Slocum  will  bo  interesting,  before 
passing  to  the  correspondence  :  A 
few  months  after  the  massacre  of 
Wyoming  her  father's  family  was 
among  the  fugitives  who  ventured 
back  into  the  Wyoming  Valley,  which 
had  been  desolated  with  hre  and  toma-  p 

hawk.  On  November  2,  1778.  a  band 
of  Delaware  Indians  stole  Frances 
Slocum,  then  a  five-year-old  child,  as 
also  two  other  children,  and  hurried 
away  from  the  settlement,  f he  next 
month  the  father  of  Frances  and  his 
aged  father-in-law,  William  Tripp, 
were  cruelly  killed  and  scalped.  No 
tidings  came  of  little  Frances  for  o9  _  __ 
years,  when  by  a  most  remarkable 
chain  of  circumstances  it  was  discov- 
ered that  she  was  living  at  Logans- 
port,  Indiana,  with  the  Miami  Indi- 
ans, where  she  was  found  by  her  broth 
ers  and  sisters  in  1^37.  The  inter- 
view was  a  most  touching  one.  the 
identification  was  complete,  and  every 
entreaty  was  made  to  have  the  lost 
sister  return  to  her  home  in  Wyoming 
Valley,  but  all  to  no  purpose,  she  preferred 
to  live  and  die  among  the  children  of  the 
forest.  Two  life-size  portraits  of  her  were 
painted  by  George  Winters,  one  of  which  is 
now  in  the  possession  of  Mrs.  Abi  Slocum 
Butler,  her  niece,  who  is  Iiviner  in  Wilkes- 
Barre,  and  the  other  in    the    possession    of 


George  Slocum  Bennett,  whose  great-aunt 
she  was. 

Following  is  the  interesting  letter  received 
from  Mr.  George  C.  Bacon,  editor  of  the 
Wabash  Plain  fJealer: 

••Wabash,  Ind.,  Sept.  9,  1886.  —  Editob 
Record:  Your  inquiry  and  copy  of  the 
Recobd  at  hand,  concerning  the  relics  of 
Frances  Slocum,  the  ''White  Captive,"  or 
"Mah-co-nes. quali,"  as  she  was  known 
among  the  Indians  here.  In  reply  will  say 
that  it  is  incorrect  to  say  that  these  relics 
were  '"unearthed,"  because  they  have  been 
kept  carefully  ever  since  her  death  by  the 
head   man  of  the    tribe,   Gabriel    Godfroy. 


U*i-  • 


FRANCES  SLOCUM  (from  Pearces  Annuls). 

Besides  the  relics  mentioned  in  your  paper, 
the  chief  has  in  his  possession  the  wardrobe 
of  "Mah-co-nes-quah,"  consi.-ting  of  a  dress 
and  shirt  of  mail,  both  heavily  trimmed  with 
silver  ornaments,  two  shawls,  a  very  fine  red 
silk  scarf,  a  magnificent  brown  broadcloth 
blanket  ornamented  with  embroidery,  and  a 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


3] 


l  air  of  scarlet  flauuol  leggins  of  exquisite 
workmanship  and  ornamentation.    All  these 

are.  in  excellent  stale  of  preservation.  The 
article  in  the  Plain  Dealer  J  send  you  to-day 
states  that  the  remain's  of  Frances  Slo- 
cuin  are  buried  in  Miami  County,  which 
is  amistakfi — they  lie  in  the  tribal  burying 
ground  of  her  old  home  one  mile  west  of 
"Deaf-man's- village,'*  on  the  banks  of  the 
M.issinuewa  River  in  Wabash  County,  about 
twelve  miles  from  this  city.  I  had  the  good 
fortune  to  see  Peter  Bundy  in  this  city  to- 
day— an  Indian  who  married  one  of  Frances 
Slocum's  daughters, — and  still  lives  on  the 
home  place,  and  learned  the  above  fact  from 
him.  Also  that  she  has  two  daughters  buried 
at  the  same  placer  that  Frances  Slocum 
married  Deaf  Man,  (  "She-pah-ca-nah"  )  war 
chief  of  the  Osage  village,  and  by  him  had 
four  children,  "Ke-ke-na-kush-wah,"  who 
married  Capt.  John  B.  Brouieliette:  "Ozah 
wah-shing-quah"  whose,  first  husband  was 
Tah-co-na.  Afterward  she  married  Wah- 
pah-pe-tah  (Peter  Bundy!.  I  have  no  record 
of  her  sons.  There  are  yet  living  many 
people  who  knew  Frances  Slocum,  who  died 
in  March,  1847.  Her  oldest  daughter  died 
in  the  same  year,  as  did  also  her  husband, 
Capt.  Brouielette:  the  younger. wife  of  Bun- 
dy, died  in  1S77.  Peter  Bundy  is  a  most 
excellent  old  Christian  gentleman  and  has  a 
son  who  is  a  preacher  in  the  M.  P.  Church." 
Geo.  C.  Bacon. 
The  catalogue  referred  to  has  among  the 
Indian  relics  the  "wardrobe  of  Frances  Slo- 
cum, the  white  captive.  Loaned  by  Gabriel 
Godfroy,  Peru,  Ind.:  Blanket,  three  shawls, 
two  ornamented  shirts,  pair  of  leggins,  silver 
cross  worn  by  Frances  Slocum  at  the  time 
of  her  death,"  besides  medals  presented  by 
Presidents  Washington  aDd  Jackson  to 
chiefs  of  Miami  Indians. 


TEXT  BOOKS  OF  THE  OLD  ACADEMY. 


One  of  the  Pupils  Writes  About  Them 
and  the  Code  of  Morals  Taught  Therein 
—Reminiscences  Which  \A" i i  1  Call  Up 
Boyhood  Days  of"  Half  a  Century  Ago. 
Editor  Record:  It  would  be  interesting  to 
compare  the  advance  in  the  curriculum  of 
study  in  our  schools.  In  the  Old  Academy, 
primary  department,  about  1830,  we 
had  the  so-called  John  Rogers  primer, 
succeeded  by  Webster's  spelling  book. 
The  latter  contained  spelling  and  read- 
ing. Most  of  thy  articles  for  read- 
ing were  accompanied  with  wood  cuts  of  the 
rudest  description,  some  of  which  were  re- 
produced a  few  years  since  in  Harper's 
Magazine,  to  show  the  great  improvements 
in  engraving,  particularly  on  wood.  We  well 
remember  the  stories  accompanying  those 
cuts,  each  of  which  contained  a  moral*  The 
first  one  was  a  picture  of  a  small  farm  house, 


and  an  apple  tree  in  which  could   be    •■         a 
youngster,   while  at  the  fool  of  the  tree   •  --■ 
a  man  in  the  act  of  throwing  at  the  boj 
boy  being  represented  about  as  large  as    vhe 

tree,  and  the  man  also  out  of  all  proport  on 
with  his  surroundings.  The  story  was  some- 
thing like  this:  ''An  old  man  found  a  '"Dde 
boy  up  one  of  his  apple  trees,  stealing  aj»;  .e-, 
and  desired  him  to  come  down.  The  yesng 
sauce-box  told  him  plainly  he  would  tot. 
The  old  man  then  threw  turf  and  grass 
at  him,  which  only  made  the  your.  _-•:.-. r 
laugh  at  him,  whereupon  the  old  man  re- 
plied: 'As  kind  words  and  turf  do  not 
succeed,  I  will  try  what  virtue  there  ;.-  in 
stones,'  which  soon  made   the  young  1 

hasten  down  from  the  tree  and  beg  the  old 
man's  pardon.  Moral— When  mild  meas- 
ures do  not  succeed  wo  must  use  hars'ifir 
ones." 

The  next  in  order,  as  we  recall  from  mem- 
ory, was  a  picture  of  a  milkmaid  with  a  ;  ail 
upon  her  head,  on  her  way  to  market  with 
eggs,  and  the  story  £roes,  she  got  to  reckon- 
ing what  the  eggs  would  bring  in  money 
and  how  much  material  she  could  buy  with 
the  same  for  a  new  dress.  She  becomes  so 
engrossed  with  the  subject  that  she  forgets 
the  balancing  of  the  pail,  whi^h  falls  to  trie 
ground  and  destroys  at  once  all  her  antici- 
pations. The  moral  is  apparent  although 
1  cannot  reproduce  the  exact  language. 

Again,  a  fox  is  represented  crosring  a 
stream,  his  head  only  exposed  above  the 
water,  a  swarm  of  flies  sucking  his  blood.  A 
swallow  offers  to  drive  them  away,  which 
the  fox  objects  to  for  the  sensible  reason 
that  the  present  flies  are  already  gorged  and 
if  driven  away  a  fresh  one  would  suck  every 
drop  of  blood  from  his  veins. 

The  next  reading  book  was  Murray's  Eng- 
lish Reader,  in  two  parts,  one  of  prose  and 
the  other  poetry,  made  up  of  selection-  from 
the  best  English  authors.  This  was  succeed- 
ed by  Murray's  sequel  to  the  English 
Reader,  of  the  same  general  character  as  the 
first. 

This  reader  was  entitled  "The  English 
Reader,  or  pieces  in  prose  and  poetry  from 
the  best  writers:  designed  to  assist  young 
persons  to  read  with  propriety  and  effect, 
improve  their  language  and  sentiments  and 
to  inculcate  the  most  important  principles 
of  piety  and  virtue."  The  work  was  ar- 
ranged with  select  sentences  and  para- 
graphs, narrative  pieces,  didactic  pieces, 
argumentative  pieces,  descriptive  pieces, 
pathetic  pieces,  dialogues,  public  speeches, 
promiscuous  pieces.  The  extract.-  were  from 
the  hUble,  Milton, Blair, Hume,  John. -on,  A  ikiu 
Addison,  Gregory,  Goldsmith,  Home,  Dr. 
Young,  Archbishop  Fenelon,  Lord  Lyttle- 
ton,  Cicero,  Ac.  &c,  all  of  a  religion-  or 
moral  tendency.  The  poetry  was  from 
Pope,  Thomson,  Cunningham,  Young.  Gray, 


33 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Cowper,  Addison,  Milton,  and  others. 
A  boy  would  not  be  likely  to 
iscover  or  appreciate  the  beauty  of 
ho  sentiment  or  the  language,  but  to  the 
i  per  scholars,  nothing  can  now  be  found  in 
any  of  our  school-  to  compare  with  it. 

The  grammars  then  in  use  were  Kirkham'fl 
and  Murray's,  both  of  which  were  as  dry  as 
dust  to  the  student,  the  latter  being  tilled 
with  notes  in  fine  print,  which  made  it  par- 
ticularly obnoxious,  and  it  is  very  doubtful 
if  the  principles  underlying  the  structure 
of  our  language  were  ever  extracted  by 
these  helps;  Mitchell's  Geography  and 
Atlas,  Halo's  History  of  the  United 
States  and  Blake's  Philosophy. 

These  were  the  books  in  the  English  de- 
partment of  the  upper  and  lower  rooms. 
The  teacher  in  the  lower  room  was  named 
Chamberlain,  and  he  was  a  good  and  faith- 
ful teacher,  too.  He  boarded  at  Morgan's 
tavern,  on  the  site  of  E  P.  Darling's  resi- 
dence, on  Fiiv'er  Street.  He  afterwards  trav- 
eled through  this  country  introducing  Cobb's 
Spelling  Book,  which  succeeded  Webster's. 
He  moved  west  and  carried  on  a  book  store. 
Israel  Dickinson,  who  taught  in  the  upper 
school  where  young  men  were  prepared  for 
college,  and  who  paid  this  place  a  visit  last 
fall,  said  he  was  still  living  in  the  same 
town  with  himself.  If  this  hast>  reminis- 
cence will  be  the  means  of  calling  out  other- 
of  the  alumni  of  the  Old  Academy  it  would 
be  very  pleasing  to  the  Wkitek. 


Meaning  of  Susquehanna, 

The  word  Susquehanna  having  been  a 
puzzle  to  etymologists  from  the  days  of 
Heckewelder  to  the  present,  it  is  worthy  to 
note  that  Prof.  A.  L.  Guss,  of  Washington 
City,  has  carefully  analyzed  the  name  and 
determined  its  signineation  to  the  satisfac- 
tion of  himself,  at  least.  He  says  it  is  of 
Tockwock  origin,  and  signifies  the  Brook- 
stream,  or  the  Spring-water-stream.  The 
earliest  use  of  it  is  found  in  the  works  of 
Captain  John  Smith  of  Pocahontas  fame. 


Sheep  Raising  in  this  Region. 

The  following  item  is  taken  from  a  vY'ilkes- 
Barre  paper  of  1635: 

"We  understand  our  enterprising  fellow 
citizen,  Dr.  Bedford,  of  Abiugton,  is  begin- 
ning to  direct  his  attention  to  the  subject  of 
raising  sheep  m  this  county.  As  soon  as  the 
Doctor  makes  the  experiment  we  hope  he 
will  give  the  public  the  result  of  his  experi- 
ence." 

It  is  a  pleasure  to  know  that  Dr.  Bedford 
still  lives  in  Abington,  honored  in  his  later 
years  as  in  early  life,  and  in  the  enjoyment 
of  health  and  competence.  Has  his  experi- 
ence in  sheep  raising  been  recorded? 


An  <H<I  War  Song. 
In  March  last  the  Fbnira  Telegram  print- 
ed a  poem  which  was  furnished  to  it  bj  Cor- 
pora] O'Brien  of  the  143d  Regiment,  Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers,  and  which  was  explain- 
ed as  follows:  The  song  w;i-  v,  itten  by 
Amos  Sisty  on  the  departure  for  the  Mexi- 
can War,  m  1840,  of  the  'Wyoming  Artil- 
lerists,' under  command  of  Cantain  E.  L. 
Dana.  The  ode  was  rendered  at  a  meeting 
held  on  the  occasion  in  the  old  Methodist 
Church  on  Public  Square  in  Wilkes-Barre, 
which  was  addressed  by  Dr.  Thos.  W.  Miner. 
The  poem  having  been  copied  into  the 
Wilkes-Barre  Leader,  Lieut.-Col.  E.  B. 
Beaumont,  of  the  4th  U.  S.  Cavalry,  ad- 
dressed a  note  to  that  paper  from  Fort 
Bowie,  Arizona,  in  which  he  stated  that  the 
poem  was  written  hy  his  father,  the  late 
Horn  Andrew  Beaumont;  that  it  was  pub- 
lished in  a  Washington  paper,  Feb.  !i2, 3  817, 
and  copied  from  the  Annapolis  Democratic 
Herald.     The  poem  was  as  follows: 

Air. — "The  Star  Spangled  Banner." 

Oh  say,  did  you  hear  the  loud  clarion  of  war 

Send  its  summoning  blast  o'er  our  hills  and 

our  valley?  [spear, 

Aud  Mais,  with  his  helmet,  his  buckler    and 

Call  our  youth  round  "The  Star  Spangled 

Banner"  to  rally? 

'Mid  these  stirring  alarms, 
See  our  sons  rush  to  arms — 
While  the  passion   for  glory    each    gallant 
heart  warms:  [boast, 

And  the  sons  of  Wyoming  shall  hence  be  our 
Be  the  theme  of  our  song  and  the  soul  of  our 
toast. 

Behold  where  the  fane  of  religion  ascends, 
Those  youth  clad  in  arms  round  the   altar 
of  freedom. 
And  pledge,  in  the  presence  of  kindred   and 
friends. 
Their  blood  and  their  lives,  if  their  country 
should  need  them, 

Then  the  psean  rose  high. 
And  the  shout  rent  the  sky, 
While  the  patriot  tear  stole  from  each  gener- 
ous eye:  j  boast, 
And  the  sous  of  Wyoming  shall  e'er   be   our 
Be  the  theme  of  our  song  and  the  soul  of  our 
toast.  [clare 
And  ne'er  shall  the  page  of   our  hist'ry   de- 
That  the  youth  of  Wyoming  are  wanting  in 
duty; 
Beloved  as  companions — undaunted  in    war, 
And  the  smiles  of  the  fair  are  their  "booty 
and  beauty." 

For  the  same  ardor  fires. 
The  same  spirit  inspires. 
That  guided  in  battle  their  patriot  sires: 
And  the  sons  of  Wyoming  shall  long  be  our 

boast. 
Be  the  theme  of  our  song  and  the  soul  of  our 
.    toast. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


33 


SAM.  WKIGHT. 

Reminiscence  of  a  Famous  Shopkeeper  of 
50  i'earsAgoin  Wilkes-Harre — A  I'ffce 
of 'Original  Poetry  Advertised  by  Him. 

Mr.  Record:  You  want  original  poetry 
of  Wyoming.  Here  is  a  sample  of  50  years 
ago. 

What!     You  don't  want  it? 

Read  the  prologue. 

All  Hail!  Lovers  of  high  flavored  and  well 
dressed  Oysters  (both  fried  and  stewed)  are  re- 
quested to  call  at  my  old  stand  on  the  VVesl  Sidi 
of  the  Public  Square,  or  at  my  now  Oyster  Estab- 
lishment in  tli"  cellar  of  Major  O.  Porter's  Hotel. 
on  liiver  Street,  where  they  will  hud  Oysters  as 
well  as  other  refreshments  served  up  at  short 
notice.  Samuel  Wright. 

Who  was  Sam  Wright? 

What  a  question.  As  if  everybodj  didn't 
know  the  only  man  who  could  try  and  siew 
oysters.  A  man  of  portly  presence  and  fixed 
shade  of  color,  who  never  sold  lager  beer: 
the  inventor,  or  discoverer  of  the  Imperial 
Beverage,  (a  lost  art)  under  whose  ministra- 
tions Constitutional  Prohibition  was  neither 
needed  nor  thought  of. 

No.  I  am  no  Rip  Van  Winkle:  but  this 
village  like  that  of  "Falling  Waters"  is  much 
changed.  What  is  fame  or  reputation  if 
nobody  remembers  Sam  Wright? 

In  a  few  years,  perhaps,  there  will  be  peo- 
ple asking  "Who  was  Tommy  Robinson." 
whose  small  beer  was  equal  to  trie  Imperial 
Beverage. 

Ask  Dr.  Ingham,  Capt.  Dennis  or  Gen. 
Dana,  not  that  either  can  be  expected  to  re- 
member so  far  back  as  half  a  century,  but 
the  story  must  have  been  still  fresh  in  their 
early  youth:  how  one  training  day  the 
courteous  inventor  of  the  "Imperial"  wrote: 
"The  compliments  of  Samuel  Wright,  to 
Capt.  H.  B.  Wright  requesting  the  pleasure 
of  his  Company  at  his  Old  Stand  on  West 
Side  of  the  Public  Square,"  and  how  the 
tired  and  thirsty  commander  about  to  dis- 
miss his  company,  construed  the  invitation 
iu  a  most  liberal  sense  and  astonished  the 
proprietor  by  ordering  his  line  of  inarch  in 
full  array  to  the  place  of  entertainment. 

Compare   the  "menu''  at  the  "Old  Stand" 
with  that  of  Kennedy   or  of  Lohmann  to- 
day: 
Samuel  Vv  right,  by  day  and  by  night, 

Will  serve  up  hue  OY.fijTEl.iS,  you  know. 
1  have  them  on  hand,  and  more  at  command. 

On  the  Square  and  at  Porter's  below. 
If  yon  call  for  a  heart,  or  even  a  tart, 

I'll  furnish  them  both  if  von  please. 
Mince  pies  1  have  too,  or  plumb  pudding  in  lieu. 

As  well  as  dried  beef  and  good  cheese. 

Wilkes-Barre, £hw.  26,  1S34. 

Can  you  reject  this?  o. 

Niagara  Falls,  N.  Y.,  Sept.   23,  1886—. 

Editor    Record:      I    read    in  jour    paper 

this  week  asking,    who   i-   Sam    Wright?     1 

emember  him  well  as  a  popular  and  favor- 


ite proprietor  of  a  restaurant,  in  one  of  low 
old  buildings  on  the  west  side  of  Public 
Sqa re,  more  than  50  years  a<;o.  Everj  body 
large  and  small,  old  and  young  knew  Sam, 
and  he  was  respected  by  all  who  knew  him. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Church 
and  a  devoted  christian  man.  Many  a  time 
have  I  heard  in.s  sonorous  voice  raised  in 
devoul  prayer  at  their  meetings  and  1  re- 
member his  fondness  for  joining  in  the 
singing,  which  as  a  boy  amused  me;  as  his 
voice  was  a  good  imitation  of  the  Scotch 
bag  pipe;  and  can  imagine  I  hear  ii  now 
ringing  in  my  head.  Sam  was  a  character 
and  was  never  boycotted  on  account  of  his 
sable  color.  I  have  a  vivid  recollection  of 
getting  the  most  delicious  peach  pie  and 
soft  ginger  cake  at  Sam's  saloon  that  any 
boy  ever  got  at  any  oUier.  So  much  for  my 
memory  of  Sam  Wright.        S.  Petteuone. 


A  Liar  of  the  Last  Century. 

The  Bloomsburg  lie  publican  of  Sept  115 
has  discovered  in  an  oJd  newspaper  a  letter, 
from  which  it  would  appear  that  our  Penn- 
sylvania climate  and  country  was  not  very 
attractive  to  the  red-coated  hirelings  who 
came  over  to  assist  in  crushing  th<  rebel 
patriots  of  the  American  colonies.  The  let- 
ter is  dated  January  18,  177d.  and  was 
written  by  a  Hessian  officer  in  the  British 
Army.  Of  the  general  character  of  the 
country  he  writes: 

"If  the  Honoiable  Count  Tenn  should 
surrender  to  me  the  whole  country,  on  con- 
dition that  I  should  live  here  during  my  life, 
I  should  scarcely  accept  it.  Among  one 
hundred  persons,  not  merely  iu  Philadel- 
phia, but  also  throughout  the  whole  neigh- 
borhood, not  one  has  a  healthy  color,  the 
cause  ot  which  is  the  unhealthy  air  and  bad 
water."  This  is  caused,  he  says,  "by 
the  woods,  morasses  and  mountains, 
which  partly  confine  the  air. 

and  partly  poison  it,  making  the 
country  unhealthy.  Nothing  is  more  com- 
mon here,"  he  continues,  "than  a  fevt  r  once 
a  year,  then  eruptions,  itch,  etc."  This  dire 
picture  reaches  a  climax  lat<-r  on  where  he 
declares:  "Nowhere  have  I  neen  so  many- 
mad  people  as  here.  .  .  .  Frequently  the 
people  are  cured,  but  almost  all  have  a  quiet 
madness,  a  derangement  of  mind  which 
proceeds  from  sluggish,  not  active  blood. 
One  cause  is  the  food.  .  .  .  The  milk  is 
noi  half  so  rich,  the  bread  gives  little  nour- 
ishment.'' 

In  regard  to  climatic  influences,  this 
veracious  chronicler  writes.  "The  thunder 
storms  in  summer  and  the  damp  reeking 
air  in  spring  and  autumn  are  unendurable. 
In  summer  mists  fall  and  wet  ever> thing, 
and  then  in  the  afternoon  there  is  a  thunder 
storm.  In  winter  when  the  trees  are  frosted 
in  the  morning,  it  rains  in  the  afternoon." 


34 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


It  is  on  the  stbjeet  of  snakes,  however,  that 
this  writer's  descriptive  ability  shines  with 
the  clearest  luster  He  prefaces  his  story 
with  thu  mild  statement  that  '"There  is  no 
scarcity  of  snakes.  The  great  black  snake 
has  been  found  near  the  Schuylkill  lately, 
quite  ne?r  our  camp.  A  countryman  cutting 
wood  was  chased  by  one  recently.  •  •  •  • 
There  is  nothing,  however,  more  terri- 
ble than  the  big  rattle  snake,  which  is  from 
twelve  to  sixteen  feet  long  and  kills  by  a 
glance.  A  countryman  in  my  quarters  lost 
a  relative  in  this  waj  some  years  ago.  He 
had  gone  hunting,  and  seeing  a  bear  stand 
still,  aimed  at  and  shot  it;  scarcely  had  he 
reached  the  bear,  when  he  was  obliged  to 
stand  motionless,  remained  thus  awhile,  fell 
and  died.  All  this  was  caused  by  a  rattle- 
snake, which  was  perched  in  a  high  tree." 

Centennial  of  Luzerne  County. 

These  days  in  which  we  live  are  prolific 
with  centennial  observances,  but  it  would  be 
churlish  to  say  that  there  are  too  many  of 
them.  They  serve  a  good  purpose  and  though 
— in  the  absence  of  circus  and  mountebank 
features — comparatively  few  people  attend 
the  gatherings,  yet  the  interest  in  them  is 
great  and  there  will  be  thousands  of  people 
who  will  read  with  eager  enjoyment  the  re- 
ports in  the  local  papers  of  Saturday's  ob- 
servance, and  when  the  detailed  proceedings 
are  published— as  they  will  be — by  the  His-' 
torical  Society  the  volume  will  be  stored 
away  as  a  valuable  contribution  to  our  fund 
of  local  history.  Most  people  want  to  take 
their  dose  of  historical  research  ad  libitum, 
whenever,  however,  and  wherever  wanted — 
without  expending  the  energy  necessary 
upon  attendance  at  a  public  meeting.  Very 
much  on  the  principle  that  some  people  nowa- 
days have  a  telephone  wire  running  to  the 
pulpit  of  their  favorite  preacher,  and  thus 
hear  his  sermons  without  having  to  go  to 
church. 

But  seriously,  an  event  such  as  was  cele- 
brated on  Saturday  is  no  mean  one  and  there 
are  brought  together  a  vast  deal  of  historical 
data  that  might  otherwise  be  lost.  It  is  not 
very  electrifying  work  for  the  man  of  anti- 
quarian tastes  to  rummage  among  the  "dead 
and  useless  past,"  and  he  needs  some  incen- 
tive like  a  centennial  celebration  to  drive 
him  to  its  performance.  Probably  nearly 
every  one  of  the  papers  was  written  under 
just  such  pressure— an  appointment  to  write 
on  a  certain  topic — a  lack  of  time  in  which 
to  do  it  and  consequently  a  rush  in  the  few 
remaining  hours  to  complete  the  task  as- 
signed. But  when  done  the  work  remains. 
— it  may  be  of  great  value  to  coming  gene- 
rations,it  may  be  of  very  little  or  no   value. 

What  mighty  changes  have  come  over  this 
county  in  the  brief  space  of  a  century! 
Made    up    originally   of    the  territory   now 


composed  in  Luzerne,  Lackawanna,  Susque- 
hanna, Bradford  and  Wyoming  Counties,  it 
contained  in  L786  about  2.300  taxables— 
perhaps  15,000  inhabitants.  In  otie  hundred 
y  •>  u-s  this  number  has  swollen  to  200  times 
this  amount,  or  according  to  the  census  of 
1880,  337,827  souls.  Of  these,  present 
Luzerne  claims  almost  one-half,  making  it 
one  of  the  most  densely  populated,  the  most 
wealthy,  the  most  thriving  communities  in 
the  United   States. 

No  name  more  worthy  than  that  of  the 
Chevalier  do  la  Luzerne,  could  have  been 
been  bestowed  upon  a  county  which  was  to 
become  great,  wealthy  aud  populous.  De 
la  Luzerne  was  an  officer  in  the  French 
army,  serviug  in  the  Seven  Years'  War. 
Abandoning  arms  for  affairs  of  state,  he 
was  appointed  Minister  from  the  Court  of 
France  to  the  United  States  in  l^TS.  He 
made  his  home  in  America  for  five  years  and 
became  an  idol  of  the  people.  In  1780, 
when  our  army  had  scarcely  a  dollar  in  its 
coffers  and  when  our  Government  Treasury 
was  depleted  to  the  last  degree,  Luzerne 
raised  money  on  his  own  responsibility  to 
tide  over  the  crisis  which  threatened  the 
stiuggling  colonists  with  destruction.  Af- 
terwards he  was  sent  by  his  home  Govern- 
ment to  the  Court  of  St.  James,  and  in  1789, 
when  the  Federal  Government  was  organ- 
ized, Jefferson,  then  Secretary  of  the  State, 
by  order  of  President  Washington 
addressed  a  letter  to  the  Che- 
valier de  la  Luzerne,  acknowleding 
his  pre-eminent  services  and  the  appreda 
tion  of  them  by  the  American  people.  The 
naming  of  a  county  in  Pennsylvania  in  his 
honor  elicited  from  him  a  letter  breathing 
a  spirit  of  love  for  the  Nation,  whose  un- 
promising fortunes  he  hid  espoused  in  the 
hour  of  adversity  and  which  he  had  lived 
to  see  crowned  with  victory.  We  do  well, 
even  a  hundred  later,  to  reverence  his  mem- 
ory, and  the  memory  of  all  the  brave  pioneers 
in  the  work  of  laying  the  foundations  ot 
this  Republic  and  of  this  county.  If  we  of 
to-day  build  as  well  as  they  what  fancy  can 
picture  nation  and  county  a   century  hence! 


The  poems  of  ''Stella  of  Lackawanna," 
( Mrs.  Harriet  Gertrude  VVatres,  of  Scran- 
ton,  deceased,)  are  in  the  hands  of  a  large 
publishing  house  in  Boston,  and  will  be 
issued  in  book  form  in  the  course  of  two  or 
three  months.  The  volume  will  be  embell- 
ished with  a  splendid  steel  portrait  of  the 
gifted  authoress,  and  the  work  will  without 
doubt  command  a  large  sale.  State  Senator 
L.  A.  Watres  is  a  son  <  f  the  lamented  dead, 
and  Dr.  H.  Hollister,  the  veteran  historian  of 
Lackawanna  County,  is  a  brother. 


In  1815 where Scranton  proper  now  stands 
was  a  wilderness. 


1702599 

THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


35 


LCJZKKNE    COUNTY  POSTOFFICES. 

One  Hnudred  and  Four  of  them— Town- 
fdiijis  i i f  which  Located- -A  List  that  is 
Useful  for  Reference. 

Probably  not  everybody  is  aware  that  Lu- 
zerne County  has  104  postoffices,  yet  such 
is  the  fact.  Many  of  the  names  will  be  new 
to  the  general  reader  and  not  one  person  in 
a  hundred  can  tell  oft  hand  in  what  part  of 
the  county  the  several  oftices  are  located. 

In  a  few  instances  a  borough  has  a  differ- 
ent postoflice  name.  Laurel  Run  Borough's 
postoftice  is  0  iver's  Mills.  The  postofhee  in 
Pleasant  Valley  Borough  could  not  be  so 
named  as  there  was  already  a  Pleasant 
Valley  in  Bucks  County.  Consequently 
Pleasant  Valley's. postoftice  is  Avoca  (recent- 
ly called  Marr).  There  is  a  Pleasant  Hill 
in  Boss  Township  but  it  conld  not  be  so 
called  as  there  is  such  an  oftice  in  Lawrence 
County.  It  is  therefore  named  Sweet 
Valley. 

Post  Offtck.  Township. 

A  lden Newport 

*Ashley Hanover 

Askam Hanover 

Avoca  Marcy 

Beach  Haven Salem 

Hear  <  reek  Bear  Creek 

Bel  bend Salem 

Black  Ridge Sugarloaf 

Bloomingdale Boss 

'  Briggsville Nescopeck 

Cambria Huntington 

Oarverton Kingston 

Cease's  Mills Jackson 

(  onyngham Sugarloaf 

Dallas .Dallas 

Dorrance Dorrance 

*DriftoD Hazle 

Drum's Butier 

Duryea M  arcy 

Lbervale Hazle 

Eckley Foster 

F.xeter Fxeter 

Fades   Creek Lake 

Fairmount  Springs Fairmount 

Forty  Fort King-ton 

"Freeland Foster 

Glen  Summit   Wright 

Gowen  —    ' '  • Black  (  reek 

Grand  Tunnel Plymouth 

G  regory Hunlock 

Harding Fxeter 

Harleigh Hazle 

Harvey  ville Huntington 

Hazle  brook Foster 

Tlazleton Hazle 

Bobbie  Hollenback 

Hunlock  (  reek Hunlock 

Huntington  Mills Huntington 

Huntsville Jackson 

Inkerman Jenkins 

Jeansville Hazle 

Jfddo Hazle 

'Kingston Kingston 

Ketcham  Franklin 

Kunkle Dallas 

}*■  J'ttlo Fairmount 

bake,  i  at  Harvey's  Lake) Lehman 

Lnrksville,  (formerly  Blindtown), Plymouth 


Post  Office.  Township. 

Lehman Lehman 

Loyal  ville Like 

Luzerne,  i  formerly  Mill  Hollow,) Kingston 

Milaesville Hazle 

Miner's  Mills Plains 

>loosehead Denison 

Mountain  Grove Black  Creek. 

Mountain  Top Wright 

>hi  1 1  It-ii  bury Union 

♦Nanticoke Hanover 

Nescopeck Nescopeck 

New  Columbus Huntington 

Oliver's  Mills,  (Laurel    Bun  Borough) 

Wilkes-Barre 

Franklin 

Lake 

Plains 

Hanover 

Lehman 


Orange 

Outlet 

♦Parsons 

Peely,   (Warrior  Bun),... 

Pike's  Creek 

♦Pittston Pittston 

♦Plains Plains 

Plainsville,  (L.  V.  RR.  Station) Plains 

♦Plymouth Plymouth 

Port  Blancliard Jenkins 

Bed  Bock Fairmount 

liperister Huntington 

Bey  burn U  n  ion 

Rittenhouse Fairmount 

Roaring  Brook  Hunlock 

Bock  (ilen Black  Creek 

Ruggles Like 

Sandy  Run Foster 

♦Shickshinny Salem  and  Union 

Silk  worth Lehman 

Slocum Slocu  m 

•Stork  ton Hazle 

St.  John's Butler 

StoddartsvUle Buck 

Sugarloaf Butler 

Sugar  Notch Sugar  Notch 

Sweet  Valley Boss 

SeybertsviBe Sugarloaf 

Town  Hill Huntington 

'•'own  Line Union 

Trncksville Kingston 

Upper  Lehigh Foster 

Wanamie Newport 

Wapwallopen Conyngham 

Waterton Huntington 

West  Nanticoke Plymonth 

♦Wilkes-Barre Wilkes-Barre 

White  Haven Foster 

Wyoming Kingston 

Yat^s.    i  lates ville), Jenkins 

Zeluier Foster 

Offices  with  an   asterisk,  (*),  are  money-order 
offices. 

A    Large  Kagle  Shot. 

[  Pi tt6ton  Gazette.  1 
A  splendid  specimen  of  the  bald  e:\gle  was 
shot  yesterday  in  the  vicinity  of  Ransom  by 
Fred  Hoffner,  in  company  with  Frank  and 
Henry  G.  Weeks,  who  were  out  for  a  day's 
tramp  through  the  country.  The  eagle  drop- 
ped with  a  broken  wing  and  a  bullet  through 
its  body.  The  bird  measured  six  feet  and 
eitrht  inches  across  the  wings  and  three  feet 
from  beak  to  tail. 


In  1810  the  Luzerne  County  Agricultural 
Society  was  first  organized, 


36 


Till-:  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


The  Supposed  Meteorite. 

Appended  is  the  extracted  description  of  a 
supposed  meteorite  in  the  collection  of  the 
Wyoming  Historical  and  Geological  Society, 
from  a  paper  recently  read  before  the  Society 
by  Dr.  (  harles  F.  Ingham. 

This  mass  of  mineral  was  left  in  charge 
Of  this  society  by  Mr.  J.  Crocket,  of  Ross 
Township,  Luzerne  County,  where  he  ob- 
tained it  in  ploughing  on  his  farm  in  a 
locality  which  seemed  to  be  that  on  which  a 
luminous  bodj  or  meteorite  had  fallen.  He 
is  therefore  of  the  belief  that  this  is  that 
body.  My  investigations  lead  me  to  an 
opposite  opinion,  for  the  following  reasons: 

First,  That  the  external  surface  does  not 
correspond  with  the  descriptions  universally 
given 'of  meteorites.  M.  Dtubree.  member 
of  the  Institute  of  Mines  and  Inspector 
General  of  the  mines  of  France,  in  an 
article  on  the  synthetic  experiments  re- 
lative to  meteorites,  says,  ''What  is  first  re- 
marked on  examining  meteoric  stones,  is  a 
black  Ciaist  which  covers  the  whole  surface; 
this  crust  is  in  general  of  a  doll  appearance, 
but  in  some  aliuminous  and  particularly 
fusible  meteorites  it  is  of  a  glittering  as- 
pect, so  as  to  resemble  a  varnish.  Its  thick- 
ness is  less  than  one  millimetre  <  o^e-twenty- 
fifth  of  an  inch),  and  it  is  plainly  owing  to 
a  superficial  fusion  which  the  stone  has 
undergone  for  a  short  time,  being  the  re- 
sult of  incandescence  produced  by  friction 
through  the  atmosphere."  And  this  we 
find  in  a  specimen  belonging  to  this  society 
while  the  Ross  Township  stone  is  totally 
without  it  and  has  no  other  indication  of  its 
having  been  heated. 

Secondly,  and  of  great  import,  I  find  the 
specific  gravity  of  the  Ross  Township  speci- 
men only  2  018,  whereas  the  specific  gravity 
of  meteorites,  as  reported,  ranges  from 
3/20')  to  7.020,  an  average  being  o  24.  The 
Polish  specimen  has  a  gravity  of  3.663,  and 
it  i-;  strongly  attractable  by  the  magnet;  yet 
it  has  no  magnetic  power,  and  hence  no 
polarity  inherent.  The  Ross  Township 
specimen  gives  no  evidence  whatever  of 
magnetic  influence,  although  my  tests  were 
applied  to  an  external  flake,  which  should 
have  had  the  greatest  energy  of  the  whole 
mass.  And  this  is  in  accord  with  my  an- 
alysis of  the  mineral  by  which  I  get  but  the 
faintest  evidence  of  the  presence  of  iron, 
and  not  a  trace  of  nickel.  1  found  the  mass 
made  up  of  silica,  alumina,  lime,  magnesia, 
potassa  and,  as  above  stated,  a  faint  trace  of 
iron,  as  also  some  bismuth. 

In  these  elements,  taken  in  connection 
with  the  specific  gravity  2.663.  we  have  a 
close  approximation  to  the  mineral  Anor 
thite,  its  specific  gravity  being  2.730. 
Anorthite  belongs  to  the  section  of  feld- 
spathic  compounds;  Now,  if  the  mass  in 
que-tiou    is    not    a  meteorite,  and  did  not 


roach  its  place  of  rest  by  a  traverse  through 
the  air,  the  question  follows,  where  did  it 
come  from?  The  surface-rocks  of  Luzerne 
County  are  not  of  the  feldspathic  class,  nor 
do  we  find  them  in  force  until  we  ap]  ro  ich 
the  St.  Lawrence  River  and  the  Great  Lakes. 
This  would  seem  to  be  making  out  a  very 
remote  point  of  origin  for  the  specimen,  in- 
volving a  very  long  overland  journey  to 
reach  its  location  in  the  mountains  of  Penn- 
sylvania. Hut  that  the  great  proportion  of 
the  drift  found  throughout  this  county  came 
from  equally  remote  sources  we  have  the 
strongest  lithoiogic  evidence:  for  among  the 
stones  of  the  gravel  we  find  a  very  large 
amount  of  the  Potsdam  sandstone,  this  stone 
being  at  the  base  of  the  lower  silnrian 
formation,  and  being  the  beginning  of  the 
paleozoic  series,  or  those  bearing  the  fo?>il 
evidenco  of  life  on  earth.  The  nearest 
point  to  us,  northward,  at  which  this  sand- 
stone has  a  surface  spread,  is  in  St.  Law- 
rence, ami  Franklin  Counties,  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  State  of  New  York:  where,  in 
the  Adirondack  mountains,  it  appears  prom 
inently.  1  therefore  assign  to  the  force  that 
brougnt  the  Potsdam  sandstone  to  us,  the 
no  more  difficult  task,  that  of  having 
brought  the  specimen  to  Ross  Township. 


An  Historic  Log  Chapel. 

The  Media  American  recently  contained 
an  article  by  Philip  Leunon  on  "The  Old  Log 
Chapel  at  Neshaming  in  Bucks  County." 
It  was  the  pioneer  seminary  for  aspirants  to 
the  Presbyterian  ministry  a  century  and  a 
half  ago.  It  was  six  miles  south  of  Doyles- 
town,  twenty  miles  out  of  Philadelphia. 
When  in  America  in  1739  the  celebrated 
evangelist,  Whitfield,  preached  here  to  3000 
people.  The  deed  for  the  ground,  dated 
1728.  wa*  given  by  James  Logan,  to  his 
cousin,  Rev.  William  Teunent,  an  Irish 
emigrant,  who  shortly  after  his  arrival  re- 
nounced his  allegiance  to  the  Church  of 
England  and  joined  the  Philadelphia  Pres- 
bytery. The  gift  consisted  of  fifty  acres  of 
laud  and  the  part  of  it  on  which  the  college 
stood  is  said  to  have  been  th^  Indian  bury- 
ing ground.  The  log  college,  20  feet  by  30 
feet  square,  was  for  years  the  only  institute 
south  of  New  England  where  young  men 
could  be  prepared  for  the  ministry. 

The  Log  College  flourished  under  Mr. 
Tennent  for  twenty  years,  when  its  place 
was  eminently  supplied  by  kindred  institu- 
tions thereabouts.  From  its  walls  came 
many  noted  preachers  of  Scotch-Irish  de 
scent.  Four  of  his  own  sous  were  minis- 
ters, one  of  whom,  Gilbert  Tennant,  preach- 
ed eloquent  sermons  to  stir  up  the  people 
during  the  French  and  Indian  War.  A  cart- 
load of  these  sermons  were  very  opportunely 
discovered  in  an  old  lumber  room  of  Dr. 
Fianklm's  when  the  American  patriots  were 


Till:  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


37 


hunting  foi  paper  to  make  cartridges  after 
the  British  evacuated  Philadelphia,  in  June 
1778.  The  sermons  were  utilized  as  cases 
for  cartridges,  and  told  effectively  after- 
wards on  the  retreating  British  in  the  battle 
of  Monmouth. 

Tho  Rev.  Charles  Beatty,  an  [rish  Presby- 
terian, who  was  chaplain  with  Dr.  Franklin 
in  tho  army  on  the  Lehigh,  in  17r>(>,  was 
educated  here.  He  was  an  emigrant  with  a 
good  classical  education,  but  compelled  to 
make  a  living  by  peddling.  Halting  one 
day  at  Log  College,  he  accosted  the  profes- 
sor familiarly  in  classical  Latin.  After 
some  conversation  in  which  the  peddler 
evidenced  religious  zeal,  Mr.  Tennent  said. 
"Co  and  sell  the  contents  of  your  pack  and 
return  immediately  and  study  with  me.  It 
will  be  a  sin  to  •  continue  a  peddler,  when 
you  can  be  so  much  more  useful  in  another 
profession.'*  Beatty  became  an  eminent 
preacher.  He  was  present  at  the  coronation 
of  George  111. 

While  chaplain  with  Dr.  Franklin's  army 
on  the  Lehigh,  during  the  French 
and  Indian  War,  an  incident  is  related 
worthy  of  record.  The  soldiers  were  allowed 
a  gill  of  rum  every  day  in  addition  to  their 
regular  stipulation,  one-half  being  dealt  out 
in  the  morning  and  the  other  in  the  evening. 
On  Dr.  Beafty's  complaining  to  Dr.  Frank- 
lin, of  the  soldiers  not  being  punctual  in  at- 
tending service,  the  latter  suggested,  "It  is, 
perhaps,  below  the  dignity  of  your  pro- 
fession to  act  as  a  steward  of  the  rum,  but 
if  you  were  to  distribute  it  out  only  ju^t  after 
prayers,  you  would  have  them  all  about  you." 
Mr.  Beatty  profited  by  the  advice  and  in 
future  had  no  reason  to  complain  of  non- 
attendance.  A  few  hands  measured  out  the 
liquor  after  prayers  regularly.  He  died  at 
Barbadoes,  whither  he  had  gone  to  collect 
money  for  the  New  Jersey  College  in  1771. 

Scarcely  a  vestige  of  those  old  college 
times  now  remains  about  there — save  a  tire 
crane,  said  to  have  been  used  by  Mr.  Ten- 
nent  in  hi-  own  house,  and  a  part  of  the  old 
wall,  a  foot  and  a  half  thick,  in  the  end  of  a 
kitchen  attached  to  an  old  house  there. 
Some  old  coins  bearing  the  date  1710  were 
discovered  there  years  ago.  Not  a  vestige 
remains  of  the  temple  whose  roof  echoed 
often  the  loud,  earnest   preachings  of  truth. 

Another  Sullivan  Expedition  Journal. 

We  have  received  from  Mr.  Justin  Winsor, 
corresponding  secretary  of  the  Massachusetts 
Historical  Society,  a  valuable  pamphlet  of 
4~>  pages,  of  which  the  following  is  the  title 
page  inscription: 

Sullivan's  Expedition  Against  the  Iudians 
of  New  York,  1770.  A  Letter  from  Andrew 
Mc  Far  land  Davis to  Justin  Winsor,  corres- 
ponding secretary  of  the  Massachusetts  Hi>- 
oricai  Society.    With  the  Journal  of  William 


McKendry.    Cambridge:     John  Wilson  and 
Son.     188(3.     Pp.45. 

Mr.  Davis'  letter  gives  a  list  of  32  publish- 
ed and  unpublished  diaries,  journals  or  nar- 
ratives of  the  Sullivan  expedition,  though 
the  one  in  the  preseui  pamphlet  has  never 
before  been  published.  It  is  stated  that  the 
journal  of  George  Chant  has  been  printed  in 
the  Wyoming  (Wilkes-Barre)  Rejniblican. 
Adam  Hublej  's  journal  was  published  in  the 
appendix  to  Miner's  "History of  Wyoming." 
The  diary  of  John  Jenkins,  a  lieutenant  in 
Capt.  Spalding's  Independent  Wyoming 
Company,  and  guide  to  the  expedition,  is  in 
the  possession  of  Hon.  Steuben  Jenkins,  of 
Wyoming. 

The  writer  of  this  particular  journal,  Will- 
iam McKendry,  was  a  lieutenant  in  a  Massa- 
chusetts reuiment  in  active  service  during 
the  years  1^77-1780.  The  original  journal 
is  now  owned  by  Mr.  William  Henry  Mc- 
Kendry, oi  Ponkapoag,  Mass.,  of  the  Har- 
vard class  of  lb82. 

The  wnt«r  was  at  Cherry  Valley  at  the 
time  of  the  massacre.  He  was  with  Clinton's 
column  in  Sullivan's  expedition.  He  con- 
tributes some  valuable  and  interesting  infor- 
mation, while  many  of  the  brief  notes  of 
engagements  with  the  Indians  are  as  fascin- 
ating as  tiction.  Here  is  a  thrilling  entry 
dated  November  11,  made  at  Cherry  Valley: 
"Alarm  at  11  o'clock.  Mr.  Hammell  coming 
from  the  Beaver  Dam  was  tired  upon  by  ye  In- 
dians and  was  wounded.  Being  on  horse  he 
escaped  to  ihe  fort  half  a  mile  distant,  and 
alarmed  Col.  Alden.  Immediately  came  on 
442  Indians  from  the  Five  Nations,  200 
Tories,  under  command  of  one  Col.  Butler 
and  Capt.  Brant:  attacked  headquarters. 
Killed  Col.  Alden  and  14  men.  Took  Col. 
Stacy  prisoner,  also  Lieut.  Col.  Hoiden  and 
14  men.  Killed  of  ye  inhabitants,  30  persons: 
took  34  inhabitants  prisoners.  Burnt  20 
houses,  25  barns,  2  mills.  N.  B.  A  rainy 
day.  Nov.  12.  Sent  out  and  fetched  in  Col. 
Alden  and  buried  him  under  arms  with 
tiring  three  vollies  o?er  his  grave.  Brant 
came  with  100  Indians  to  attack  fort  ye 
second  time,  but  receiving  two  or  three  shots 
from  the  cannon  crave  back.  Left  ye  fort  at 
3  pm.  and  brought  in  a  No.  of  dead  bodies. 
Nov.  13.  Brought  in  Hugh  Mitchell's  wife 
and  four  children,  all  scalpt,  with  a  No.  of 
other  dead  bodies." 

The  entries  relative  to  the  passing  of  the 
victorious  army  through  Wyoming  on  its 
return,  in  October,  1779,  is  interesting,  but 
not  given  with  as  much  detail  as  could  be  de- 
sired. 

On  Oct.  4  the  army,  after  a  short  but  thcr- 
ough  campaign  of  36  days  had  left  Fort  Sul- 
livan i  Tioga  ion  its  return  to  Easton,  the 
soldiers  taking  the  precaution  to  destroy  the 
fort  or  stockade  before  evacuating  if.  The 
entries  then  go  on  as  follows: 


38 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Oct.  4th.  This  morning  the  Army  Marchd. 

and  left  Fort  Sullivan  at  9  (>  Clock  for  Wy- 
oming— came  over  scrub  land  this  day — 
Passd.  a  defile  on  the  brink  of  the  river 
whore  a  narrow  path  on  the  steep  side  of  a 
largo  mountain  about  200  feet  perpendicu- 
lar which  made  it  very  dangerous  to  pass; 
and  was  a  sollid  rock  three  horses  with  their 
loads  fell  off  and  dashed  to  pieces  in  the 
River — Proceeded,  on  and  encampt  on  the 
point  of  the  river — Some  rain  this  day  and 
very  hard  this  night — Came  25  miles  this  day 
— Part  of  the  troops  came  in  the  boats. 

October  5th.  This  morning  LI  O  Clock 
the  troops  all  embarkd  on  board  the  boats, 
excepting  a  No.  to  drive  the  Cattle,  and  take 
down  the  pack-horses  Proceeded  down  the 
river  and  encampt  7  miles  below  Wylucee 
the  boats  came  on  very  well,  this  day  passd 
some  bad  rapids — This  river  on  the  sides  is 
very  mountany  and  opposite  on  the  other 
side  some  small  flatts — Some  of  these  moun- 
tains 300  feet  perpendicular — Came  21  miles 
this  day. 

October  6th.  This  morning  the  troops 
movd  on  at  0  0  Clock  proceeded  down  this 
river  and  encampt  west  side  of  the  same  on 
a  piece  of  land  that  was  cleared  by  girding 
the  trees  and  was  coverd  with  English  grass 
—Came  30  Miles. 

October  7th.  This  morning  the  Army 
movd  on  and  arrive!  at  Wyoming  12.0' 
Clock  A.  M.  and  encampt  on  a  pine  plain — 
the  troops  drew  half  a  pint  of  Whiskey  each 
— This  river  is  very  mountany.  on  the  sides 
of  it  and  opposite  these  mountains  on  the 
other  side,  some  small  flats  which  are  very 
rich  and  good  land,  those  tiarts  from  Tioga 
to  Wyoming  have  all  been  improvd  and 
clear'd  by  girdling,  but  the  houses  are  all 
burnt  by  the  Indians — This  Wyoming  is 
pleasantly  situated  on  both  sides  of  the 
river  and  the  land  near  the  same  very  good 
— Came  15  miles,  making  in  the  %vhole  91 
miles  from  Tioga  to  this  place  by  water. 

October  10th  (Sunday)  The  Army  marchd 
and  left  the  ground  3.0'clock  P.  M.  for  Eas- 
ton — Came  over  a  large  mountain  very 
rocky  and  some  muddy  sloughs  Arrivd.  at 
Bullocks-Earm  at  along  meadow  11. O'clock 
at  night  where  the  troops  encampt — Came  7 
miles  this  day. 

October  15th.  Arrivd  at  Easton  1. O'clock 
P.  M. 

In  1780  the  great  "Pumpkin  Flood"'  inun- 
dated the  entire  Valley  and  did  much  damage. 

In  1820  the  population  of  the  county  was 
20,027. 

In  1820  the  coal  trade  increased  rapidly, 
aud  the  Baltimore  Coal  Company  was  organ- 
ized. 

In  1829  the  first  county  bank,  the  "Wyom- 
ing Bank,"  at  Wilkes-Barre,  commenced 
business. 


AVIII.N   I5KRWICK    WAS  J DINDEI). 


Evidence  Tending  to  Show  Thai  tin-  Recent 
Centennial  Was  si    Year  Ahead  of  Time. 

Editor  Record:  There  having  been  ex- 
hibited lately  some  diversity  of  opinion  as  to 
the  time  of  thy  settlement  of  the  Town  of 
Berwick.  I  have  concluded  to  add  to  the  con- 
fusion already  existm^'  upon  the  subject,  by 
giving  what  was  said  about  it  upwards  of 
eighty  years  ago. 

Thomas  Cooper,  one  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Commissioners,  under  the  act  of  1799, 
known  as  the  ''Compromising  Law,"  in  the 
performance  of  his  duties  wrote  under  date: 

"NoRTHUMBERLANDjJan.  18,  1803. — A  part 
of  the  Town  of  Berwick  stands  on  a  tract  of 
land  taken  up  under  Pennsylvania  by  Evan 
Owen,  who  laid  out  that  town,  and  who.  I 
understand,  is  now  at  Lancaster  making  his 
complaints  on  this  subject,  and  who,  to  my 
knowledge,  most  egregiously  exaggerates 
the  importance  of  the  case  as  will  soon  be 
perceived.  A  part  of  this  tract  and  of  the 
town  of  Berwick  is  included  in  the 
Town  of  Salem.  General  Steele,  Mr.  Wilson 
and  myself  directed  Mr.  Sambonrne,  the 
surveyor,  to  run  out  the  lines  of  interference. 
They  can  give  evidence  respecting  it.  Mr. 
Sambourne's  return  to  me  makes  the  busi- 
ness quite  insignificant,  but  whether  more 
or  less,  I  had  to  decide  on  principles  that 
have  no  relation  to  the  quantum  of  the  dis- 
pute. I  held  this  case  under  advisement  on 
the  following  ground:  It  appeared  in  evi- 
dence before  me,  by  the  voluntary  deposi- 
tion of  Evan  Owen  himself,  that  he  made  his 
commencement  of  settlement  on  the  tract  of 
land  whereon  the  Town  of  Berwick  now 
stands,  on  the  10th  day  of  May,  1787.  the 
Confirming  Law  having  passed  on  the  27th 
day  of  March  preceding.  It  appeared  to  me 
that  this  Confirming  Law  was  public  and 
legal  notice  to  him  of  an  opposite  and  older 
title,  then  recognized  by  the  Legislature, 
and  that  he  settled  at  his  peril.  He  took  up 
the  land  and  settled  it,  knowing  of  a  prece- 
dent title.  Thomas  Cooper." 

This  letter  will  be  found  recorded  at  large 
in  the  office  of  the  Secretary  of  Internal 
Affairs  at  Harrisburg.  in  volume  I,  relating 
to  Wyoming  lands,  p.  152.  It  would  seem 
to  be  satisfactory  evidence  of  the  time  when 
the  Town  of  Berwick  was  laid  out. 

Steuben  Jenkins. 

Wyoming,  Sept.  17,  1880. 

In  1791  a  fatal  form  of  typhus  fever  raged 
along  the  Susquehanna.  Whole  families  fell 
victims  to  it. 

In  1773  the  first  marriage  in  Wilkes-Barre 
(white)  occured  this  year  in  the  Denison  fa- 
mily, and  the  first  birth  followed  it. 

In  1812  the  first  church  erected  and  com- 
pleted in  the  Public  Square,  Wilkes-Barre, 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


30 


The  Old  WilK<s.K;u  re  Academy. 

EpiTOR  B  eoobd:  Ad  article  in  t! *e  Record 
recently  headed  "Text-Books  of  the  Old 
Academy"  was  peculiarly  interesting  to  me, 
a  Btudent  in  Wiikes-Barre  fifty  years  ago.  It 
brought  to  my  mind  vis  idly  reminiscences 
of  the  olden  tune,  the  quaint  buildings,  the 
early  pedagogues,  the  somewhat  crude  books 
and  methods  of  teaching,  and  the  mischiev- 
ous scholars,  some  of  whom  have  since  risen 
to  eminence  in  church  and  State. 

The  writer  of  the  article  referred  to  went 
back  to  a  period  less  than  fifty  years  ago,  as 
1  saw  no  reference  to  the  old  "yellow  Acad- 
emy," which  to  me  and  doubtless  toothers 
who  remember  it,  is  attended  with  more  an- 
cient, and  therefore  hallowed,  associations. 
At  the  time  I  entered  it,  the  old  building  was 
in  a  dilapidated  condition  through  extreme 
age  and  bad  usage  by  the  scholars — one  of 
whom  had  made  two  or  three  unsuccess- 
ful attempts  to  end.  its  existence  by 
conflagration.  The  structure  was  one  of 
four  public  buildings  which  then  occupied 
the  square,  viz:  The  court  house,  "fire-proof" 
(in  which  the  county  offices  were  located) 
the  M.  E.  Church  and  the  academy.  Run- 
ning through  the  square  at  right  angles, were 
Main  and  Market  Streets;  on  the  latter  a 
long  gable-end  building. with  roof  supported 
by  pillars,  constituted  the  public  market 
house.  All  these  buildings  were  of  a  style 
of  architecture  peculiar  to  the  Pennsylvania 
Dutch  towns  of  that  period,  and  beyond  the 
power  of  any  imagination  to  describe,  though 
I  can  see  them  now  clearly  in  my  mind's 
eye.  The  schools  taught  in  the  academy 
were  excellent  for  the  time,  and  as  I  have 
said,  many  eminent  men  were  fully  prepar- 
ed for  college  within  its  uncouth  walls.  The 
names  of  the  teachers,  I  cannot  recall,"  ex- 
cept the  principal,  Deacon  Sylvester  Dana, 
a  graduate  of  Yale,  and  a  most  ex- 
cellent preceptor.  With  great  kindness  of 
heart  and  much  patience,  he  was  yet  ve<-y 
thorough  and  severe.  The  discipline  of  his 
school  was  maintained  at  all  hazards,  and 
woe  to  the  scholar  who  disputed  his  author- 
ity. His  mode  of  punishment  was  the  raw- 
hide, a  plentiful  supply  of  which  was  always 
kept  at  Mr.  Auhoiser's  store  on  the  west  side 
of  the  square.  I  remember  on  one  occasion 
going  to  the  store  tor  one  which  Mr.  Dana 
used  to  chastise  the  late  Judge  Walier. 
Amoii"  the  names  of  those  who  were  attend- 
ing the  academy  are  J.  Butler  Oonynghan, 
Frank  Bntler,  Charles  Collins,  C.  P.  Waller, 
George  G.  Waller,  Sam  McCarra- 
gher,  S.  H.  Lynch,  Tom  Smith, 
Bob  Wright,  Ed  Butler,  Charley  Chapman, 
W.  L.  Conyngham  and  Jonathan  Bulkeley. 
The  latter  had  an  experience  at  one  time 
with  the  deacon's  rawhide  winch  resulted  in 
the  indictment  of  the  teacher.  A  number 
of  the  scholars  were  summoned  as  witnesses 


before  the  Grand  Jury,  and  I  well  re- 
member how  awestricken  we  ^ero  as  one  by 
one  we  appeared  in  the  august  presence  of 
the  jurymen  to  give  our  testimony,  but  the 
case  was  settled  before  it  came  lo  trial,  and 
Jonathan  ceased  to  be  a  member  of  tho 
school. 

According  to  my  recollection  the  old 
building  was  demolished  in  1830,  and  for 
two  or  three  years  the  school  was  kept  in  a 
part  of  the  old  Morgan  Hotel,  on  Kiver 
Street.  A  brick  building  ot  more  modern 
pretensions  and  appointments  was  erected 
on  the  old  site,  and  that  gave  place  with  the 
other  buildings  on  the  square  to  the  present 
court  house.  C.  E.  L. 

Carbondale,  Oct.  15,  1836. 

The  Old  Hollenback  House. 

Apropos  of  the  disappearance  of  the  old 
Hollenback  house  on  Franklin  and  North- 
ton  Streets,  it  was  thought  that  a  few  facts 
relative  to  the  building  and  history  of  the 
old  landmark  would  be  interesting.  Thor- 
ough inquiry,  however,  failed  to  reveal  the 
exact  date  or  the  architect  or  builder  of  it. 
Several  gentlemen  in  town  who  are  familiar 
with  local  history,  agreed  that  the  date  of 
construction  was  about  1846.  At  the  time 
it  was  built  it  v  as  considered  a  magnificent 
mansion,  outrivaling  any  other  dwelling  in 
town;  and,  in  fact,  the  length  of  time  re- 
quired to  tear  it  down  this  summer,  and  its 
excellent  condition,  vouch  for  the  skill  and 
conscientiousness  of  its  builder,  whoever  he 
was.  This  was  the  last  home  of  George  M. 
Hollenback,  who  was  so  long  identified  with 
local  interests. 

The  most  prominent  event  remembered  in 
connection  with  the  old  Hollenback  house  is 
the  Centennial  Tea  Party  of  1676.  Ou  this 
occasion  everyone  who  had  books,  letters,  or 
any  articles  whatever,  of  interest  relating  to 
the  early  history  of  the  town  or  valley, 
were  brought  to  the  Hollenback  house  and 
they  were  arranged  in  rooms  by  a  committee 
of  ladies.  Some  very  interesting,  as  well  as 
ancient,  relics  of  the  long  ago  in  this  vicinity 
were  there  on  exhibition,  and  everyone  at- 
tended the  tea  party,  which  was  as  great  a 
success  as  the  other  famous  one  of  1770  in 
Boston. 

The  Elmira  Advertiser  has  been  publish- 
ing a  series  of  historical  reminiscences  under 
the  title  of  "Letters  of  Uncle  Jonas 
Lawrence."  The  author  is  John  L.  Sextan. 
Esq.,  of  Blossburg,  Tioga  Co..  Pa.,  who 
deals  %vith  many  of  the  towns  and  villages 
on  both  sides  the  line  between  New  York  and 
Pennsylvania.  The  letters  have  just  been 
issued  in  book  form  by  the  Advertiser. 

In  1611  the  first  nail  factory  was  erected 
in  Wilkes-Barre. 


-10 


Till:  HISTOlilCAL  liKCOliD. 


A  Former  W 11  kes-I  Jarre  Pastor  in  Town. 
A  Rkcoiid  man  Wednesday  had  a  conver- 
sation at.  the  Wyoming  Valley  Hotel  with  an 
agreeable  and  well-preserved  eentleman 
who  some  40  years  ago  lived  in  Wilkes-Kane 
for  a  few  months.  ILis  name  is  Rev.  Dr. 
Charles  D.  Cooper,  and  he  is  rector  of  the 
Holy  Apostles'  Church,  Philadelphia.  Dr. 
Cooper  has  some  very  interesting  reminis- 
cences of  Wilkes-Barre.  he  having  spent  part 
of  the  year  L847  as  rector  of  St.  Stephen's. 
He  was  preceded  by  Rev.  Dr.  Claxton,  of 
holy  memory,  and  succeeded  by  the  late  la- 
mented and  beloved  Rev.  George  D.  Miles. 
Dr  Cooper  gives  a  very  graphic  description  of 
Wilkes- Barre,  as  it  was  40  years  ago,  though 
he  sees  now  in  the  bustling  city  of  35.000 
people  scarcely  a  trace  of  the  little  tumble- 
down village  which  Wilkes-Barre  was  at 
that  time.  He  and  his  good  wife  came  here 
in  1847  by  stage,  leaving  Philadelphia 
at  3  arm,  and  by  easy  relays  reaching  here  on 
the  third  day.  Dr.  Cooper  was  the  guest 
for  a  time  of  the  late  Judge  Conyngham's 
family  and  he  formed  many  delightful  ac- 
quaintances, including  the  elder  Judge 
Woodward's  family.  Wnile  he  was  most 
favorably  impressed  with  the  people 
he        was        not  so        similarly        im- 

pressed with  the  town.  It  seem- 
ed inacessible  to  railroads,  had  no  percepti- 
ble resources  and  he  saw  nothing  in  the  fu- 
ture to  encourage  a  young  man  and  a 
stranger  to  cast  his  lot  here.  Accordingly 
he  concluded  to  seek  a  wider  and  more 
promising  held  and  he  went  to  Philadelphia 
(by  stage  toPottsville  and  thence  by  rail  to  the 
Quaker  City. )  Dr.  Cooper  occupies  a  promin- 
ent position  in  the  diocese  of  Pennsylvania. 
He  is  impressed  not  only  oy  the  general  pro- 
gress in  Wilkes-Barre  but  by  the  remarkable 
growth  of  his  old  parish,  he  considering  St. 
Stephen's  one  of  the  strongest  parishes  in 
the  diocese  of  Central  Pennsylvania.  He 
never  anticipated  a  time  when  as  now,  the 
rector  of  St.  Stephen's  would  have  an  out- 
lying field  requiring  four  assistants.  The 
doctor  regrets  the  absence  of  Piev.  Henry  L. 
Jones  at  Genera!  Convention.  He  is  accom- 
panied by  Mrs.  Cooper  and  a  lady  friend. 
Dr.  Cooper's  coming  was  very  quiet  but  now 
that  his  whereabouts  have  been  made  known 
by  the  Recokd  he  will  doubtless  be  called 
upon  this  morning  by  some  of  the  gentle- 
men whose  fathers  he  knew  and  who  were 
onlybovs  in    1847.  —  W.-B.  Record,  Oct.  21. 

Rev.  U.  W.  Condit  is  the  author  of  a  his- 
tory of  Easton,  which  is  being  printed  in 
parts  at  50  cents  each.  Part  5  is  devoted 
mainly  to  the  Lutheran  Church  history  of 
the  town.  A  biography  of  Hon.  George 
Taylor  is  also  given.  The  illustrations  are: 
St.  Paul's  Church,  St.  Peter's  Church,  the 
'"Pot  Rock  and  Eddy"  and  a  profile  of 
George  Taylor. 


Ilii 


1  Puhlical  iom 


Centenary  Memorial  of  the  Erection  of  the 
Countj  nf  Dauphin  and  the  Founding  of  the 
City  <.f  Harrisburg,  hilltecl  bj  William  11.  Egle, 
M.  1).,  8  vo.,  p.  3w7. 

This  is  the  title  of  a  volume  giving  a  com- 
plete record  oi  the  celebration  last  j<ar,  pre- 
pared under  the  auspices  of  the  Dauphin 
County  Historical  Society.  The  volume  con- 
tains a  full  account  not  only  of  the  prelimin- 
ary meetings  and  addresses,  but  complete 
reports  of  the  imposing  ceremonies  of  that 
celebration,  and  of  the  antiquarian  exhi- 
bition, which  was  so  successful'  a  feature  of 
the  event.  The  edition  is  limited  to  400 
copies  at  S3  each.  The  proceeds  of  the  sale 
of  the  book  are  to  go  to  a  fund  for  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  public  library. 

A  Philadelphia  firm  are  making  arrange- 
ments for  the  publication  of  a  history  of 
Susquehanna  County.  We  hope  it  is  not  one 
of  the  bogus  histories  with  which  so  many 
counties  have  been  cursed  and  which  charge 
an  exhorbitant  price  and  fail  to  give  satis- 
faction after  all.  Miss  Blackmail's  history 
of  the  county  is  not  yet  out  of  print  and 
should  be  patronized  before  the  people 
throw  their  money  into  the  coffers  of  an  out- 
side party.  We  believe  in  protection  to  home 
industry  to  the  fullest  extent.  It  is  announced 
m  the  Montrose  Independent  that  '"a number 
of  leading  citizens  of  the  county  will  assist 
in  the  preparation,''  and  the  chapter  on  the 
medical  profession  will  be  written  by  Dr. 
Calvin  C.  Hawley,  of  Montrose. 

We  learn  from  the  Doylestown  Intelli- 
gencer that  Bucks  is  to  have  its  history  pre- 
pared by  an  Ohio  firm.  If  their  experience 
is  anything  like  that  in  Luzerne  the  Bucks 
County  people  will  wish  they  had  let  "patent" 
histories  alone. 

The  Magazine  of  American  History  for 
September  is  both  a  surprise  and  a  delight. 
With  the  first  opening  of  its  beautiful  pages 
one  is  ushered  into  an  unique  portrait  gal- 
lery, and  makes  or  renews  acquaintance  with 
a  long  line  of  brilliant  public  characters  A 
more  entertaining  contribution  to  magazine 
literature  than  Mrs.  Lamb'-  "Illustrated 
Chapter  of  Beginnings"  it  would  be  hard  to 
find.  It  is  the  history  of  an  old  historic  in- 
stitution important  to  the  whole  country, 
and  contains  just  precisely  the  information 
wanted  by  thousands  of  intelligent  readers 
in  various  parts  of  the  land— it  is  a  graphic 
and  historical  sketch  never  before  presented 
so  concisely  and  effectively. 

Dr.  Egle's  Xotes  <(,"i  Queries  in  the  Har- 
risbnrg°2,V/<v/rap/i  tor  Aug.  14  contains  an 
article  on  "Pennsylvania  Anti-Revolutionary 
Currency,"  "Records  of  Bmdnagle  Church," 
story  of  a  good  Indian  of  doubtful  existence 
and  an  account  of  the  Enders  Mouumental 
Association. 


A  MONTHLY    PUBLICATION 


DEVOTED    PRINCIPALLY    TO 

ZU  J£atl£  Tbtetors  of  Miming  Dalles 

AND  CONTIGUOUS  TERRITORY 

WITH 

NOTES  AND  QUERIES 

R] OGKAPH ICAL,    ANTIQUARIAN,    GeNEALOGICA L 

o 

EDITED  BY  F.  C.  JOHNSON,  M.  D. 

Vol.   i]  November   1886  [No.  3 


WILKES-EARKK,  PA. 

press  et  Ubc  m.\lbcs*3Bnvvc  IRccorD 

MDCCCLXXXVI 


::al  Recor 

Compiled  from  the   Wilkes-Barre  Record 


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Vol.  I.  NOVEMBER,   18S6.  No.  3. 

Contents  iv 

Joseph  Brant \  1  -4  ; 

Aboriginal  Stone  Implements - 45-47 

Valuable  Archaeological  Collection 47 

Recollections  of"  Sam  Wright 47 

Masonic  F u neral  in  1779 -  •  - 4- 

How  We  Acquired  Our  Domain 49-50 

Burial  Ground  at  White  Haven 50 

The  Old  Sullivan  Road 50 

The  Battle  of  Germantown 50 

Nanticoke  Presbyterian  Church 5  1 

Jenkins  Family  of  Rhode  Island 51 

Fortunes  Awaiting  Claimants 52 

Mr.  Loop's  Coon  Sausage  Dinner 52 

Biographies  of  the  Successful  Candidates 53~5^ 

Recent  Deaths 56-60 

Dr.  A.  A.  Hodge,  L.  D.  Sturdevant,  Mrs.  Elizabeth   Bowman,  Orilla 
Waller  Beebe,  John  Wroth,  Isaac  Ripple^  Robert   M'D.  Shoemaker, 
R.  R.  Snowden. 

Survey  for  Ki n gston , 60 

Some  Old  Newspaper  Clippings 60 

Wilkes-Barre  Schools  Fifty  Years  Ago 61-62 

State  Historical   So  :iety  Reception 62 

Biographical  Sketch  of  W.  R.  Loop 62-63 

Colonial  Secretary   T  hompson 65 

The  Qsterhout  Free  Library 63-64 

Caleb  E.  Wright's  New  Dock 64 


PENNSYLVANIA    GENEALOGIES,  TJ1ST0R1     :    OF    :    SUSQUEHANN. 

J  Scotch,  Irish  and  German,  -*  -*  COUNTY,  PA.. 


By  WILLIAM  HENRY  EGLE,  M.  D.,  M.  A., 

Harrisburg,  Lam*  S.  Hart,  Printer  and  Binder. 

1880.    Pp.  720  Octavo. 


From   a   period   proceeding  its    settlement    to 
recenl  tiroes.    Including  the  annals  and 
raphy    of     each     township, 


Indexed  in  detail.    The  result  of  15  years  con- 
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PJISTORY of  HANOVER  TOWNSHIP,  Claxtqn,  Remsen  and  Havfilfingek, 

Philadelphia,  1873. 


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Vol.  I 


NOVEMBER,   1886. 


No.  3. 


JOSEPH   BRANT. 

Unveiling  His  Monument  at  Krautford, 
Cauada-^-New  Facts  in  the  Life  of  the 
Famous  (Chief— Denial  that  he  was  in 
tin-  Wyoming  Massacre  of  July  3,  17  78. 

The  question  whether  the  Mohawk  chief, 
Brant,  was  at  the  battle  of  Wyoming  has 
never  yet  been  answered  to  the  satisfaction 
of  all.  Authorities  differ,  most  historians 
insisting  that  Brant  was  not  here,  others, 
(prominently  Hon.  Steuben  Jenkins)  claim- 
ing with  equal  earnestness  to  the  contrary. 
As  the  decades  have  gone  by  the  effort  to  re- 
lieve Brant's  memory  from  its  former 
odium  has  never  tor  a  moment  been  relin- 
quished, and  it  is  not  surprising  that  last 
month  when  a  monument  was  unveiled  in 
his  honor  at  Brantford,  Ontario,  it  was  an- 
nounced authoritatively  that  he  had  no  hand 
in  the  atrocities  at  Wyoming.  The  Post- 
Express,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.,  under  date  of 
Oct.  14.  gives  an  excellent  historical  sketch 
of  the  famous  Mohawk  chieftain,  and  we 
take  pleasure  in  laying  it  before  our  readers 
Mr.  E.  S.  Loop  having  kindly  favjred  us 
Math  a  copy  of  thepaper  referred  to: 
i. 

BfiAKTFOBD,  Ont.,  Oct.  13.— Your  corre- 
spondent arrived  at  this  place  yesterday  and 
found,  as  he  anticipated,  other  persons  from 
'The  States,"  drawn  here  by  the  same  at- 
traction, namely,  the  unveiling  of  the  monu 
men!  to  Joseph  Brant,  who  was  once  the 
most  famous  man  of  the  Genesee  country. 
The  ceremonies  began  this  morning  and 
will  last  two  days.  V\  nile  we  are  waiting  for 
them  let  me  give  you  as  condensed  a  sketch 
as  I  can  of  the  career  of  the  Indian  chieftain 
whose  memory  has  never  received  justice  at 
our  prejudiced  hands. 

According  to  tradition  the  celebrated  Mo- 
hawk war-chief  Joseph  Brant— whose  Indian 
name  whs  Thayendanega — was  born  in  the 
year  174:2,  on  the  banks  of  the  Ohio  River. 
where  Ins  people  were  temporarily  sojourn- 
ing. The  home  of  his  family  was  at  the 
Canajoharie  Castle,  in  the  .Mohawk  Valley, 
and  his  mother  returned  there  while  Josenh 
was  quite  young.  There  are  varying  state- 
ments regarding  his  father  and  the  origin  of 
his  name:  but  Stone  produces  considerable 
evidence  m  his  "Life of  Brant,"  m  relation  to 
the  ancestry  of  his  subject,  and  very  justly 
remarks   that   "from  such  a   body  of  testi- 


mony, direct  and  circumstantial,  it  ia  haz- 
arding but  very  little  to  assert  that  Joseph 
Brant  was  of  the  noblest  de-cent 
anion g  his  nation."  It  would  appear  from 
evidence  presented  that  Thayendanega's 
father  was  a  distinguished  warrior:  some- 
times called  Aroghyadagha  and  at  others 
Nickns  Brant,  who  became  sachem  of  the 
Moha  ■<  ks  on  the  death  of  King  Hendrick  in 
1755.  \roghyadagha  had  three  sons  in  the 
Enelish  army,  and  his  daughter,  Mollie, 
became  the  Indian  wife  of  Sir  William 
Johnson,  then  British  superintendent  of  In- 
dian affairs  in  North  America.  It  is  evident 
that  Thayendanega  himself  possessed  some 
knowledge  of  his  origin  through  family 
tradition  for  he  distinctly  declared  that  he 
"was  born  of  Indian  parents,"  and  Marshall 
says,  in  Ins  "Denonville  Expedition,"  that 
while  stopping  near  the  present  village 
of  Victor,  X.  Y.,  about  1797,  the  noted 
Mohawk  chieftain  informed  several  persons 
that  his  grandfather  guided  the  French  army 
under  Denonville — that  destroyed  the  Seneca 
town  on  BonghtOn  Hill  many  years  before — 
f-orn  Irondequoit  Bay  to  Bonghton  Hill. 
Brant  also  visited  the  locality  where  the 
Senecas  ambuscaded  Denonville,  and 
pointed  out  the  field  of  battle:  facts  then 
unknown  to  historians  but  long  afterward 
confirmed  by  the  researches  of  O.H.  Marshall 
and  the  original  accounts  of  Denonville  and 
hi-  officers. 

There  are  no  definite  accounts  of  the  early 
youth  of  Thayendanega.  but  from  all  that  is 
known  he  must  have  been  a  lad  of  uncom- 
mon enterprise.  When  but  13  years  of  age 
he  joined  the  Mohawk  warriors  under  Sir 
William  Johnson,  and  received  his  baptismal 
tire  at  the  battle  of  Lake  George,  where  the 
brave  King  Hendrick  was  killed.  This  was 
during  the  old  French  and  Indian  war  of 
1754-1764,  which  was  the  result  ot  a  strug- 
gle between  France  and  England  to  obtain 
and  retain  possession  and  control  of  the 
water-sheds  and  water-routes  of  the  interior 
of  America  from  the  mouth  of  the  St. 
Lawrence  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 
At  the  time  hostilities  commenced, 
the  French  occupied  stations  on 
Niagara  River,  along  French  Creek  and 
Allegany  River,  between  Fort  Presque  Isle 
on  Lake  Erie  and  the  Ohio:  to  the  great  dis- 
quietude of  the  Six  Nations  whose  northern 
and  western  borders  were  constantly  in  dan- 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


ger  of  incursions  by  the  French  and  their 
Indian  allies.  The  Seuecas  constituted  the 
great  northwestern  barrier  of  the  Iroqnois 
con:ederacy,  and  Sodus,  Irondequoit,  Gen- 
esee Hiver,  Braddocks'  Bay,  Niagara, 
Buffalo,  Presque  Isle,  and  some  minor 
ports  were  open  doors  requiring  the  con- 
stant presence  of  vigilant  sent  nels;  while 
the  site  of  Rochester  was  noted  as  tho  lo- 
cation of  the  two  fords  where  many 
trails  converged,  and  whore  all  parties 
passing  in  this  vicinity  crossed  the  Genesee. 
During  the  continuance  of  the  wars  Indian 
scouts  and  war  parties  were  constantly  mov- 
ing through  the  great  wilderness  from  Lake 
Cham  plain  to  Niagara  and  the  Ohio,  and  the 
trails  of  the  Genesee  were  often  warm  with 
the  pressure  of  moccasined  feet. 

There  is  reason  to  belie  re  that  menbers  of 
Nickus  Brant's  family  were  familiar  with 
the  Genesee  trails,  and  Stone  gives  the  fol- 
lowing excerpt  from  the  nnvate  journal  of 
Sir  Wm.  -  Johnson:  "1757.  Nov.  4  Cana- 
diorha,  alias  Nickus  Brant's  son,  who  was 
in  quest  after  DeConague  as  far  as  Oneida, 
came  here  (Fort  Johnson)  and  said 
he  inquired  what  news  was  stirring 
among  the  Oneidas.  One  of  the  sachems 
told  him  ....  about  the  French 
intending        to         stop  the         powder 

from  the  Six  Nations — building  a  fort  near 
Chennessio — etc.,  that  it  made  a  great  noise 
among  the  nations  and  gave  them  uneasi- 
ness; wherefore,  they  were  assembled  often 
at  Chennessio  and  keeping  great  councils 
among  themselves  how  to  act  in  this  affair 
of  last  moment,  etc."  The  name  of  Brant 
is  inseparably  connected  with  the  aboriginal 
history  of  the  Genesee  country:  and,  though 
the  records  of  his  presence  here  are  meagre,  # 
we  know  that  from  infancy  to  old  age  Thay' 
endanega  was  often  on  the  foot  and  canoe 
trails  of  tho  Genesee  valley.  Feck's  history 
of  Rochester,  page  08,  says:  "July  1st,  175i), 
Gen.  Frideaux,  with  Sir  William  Johnson 
second  in  command,  left  Oswego  with  an 
army  of  2,000  men  and  500  Indians  on  an  ex- 
pedition against  Fort  Niagara  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Niagara  River,  then  occupied  by  the 
French.  The  expedition  was  supplied  with 
heavy  artillery  and  all  necessary  equipments 
for  a  protracted  siege,  and  was  transported 
in  vessels,  batteaux  and  canoes.  Coaling 
the  south  shore  of  Lake  Ontario  the  iirst 
night's  encampment  was  made  at  Sodus,  the 
second  at  Irondequoit,  and  the  third  at  Brad- 
dock's  Bay — which  latter  place  was  then 
Frideaux  Bay,  in  honor  of  the  English  com- 
mander who  was  killed  a  few  days  later  dur- 
ing the  siege."  Joseph  Brant,  then  about  17 
years  of  age,  was  in  the  Mohawk  contingent 
that  accompanied  the  expedition,  and  is 
said  to  have  acquitted  himself  with  "dis- 
tinguished bravery"  during  the  campaign. 
Especial  mention  is  made  of  the  good  be- 


havior of  the  Indians—of  whom  Brant  was 
one— in  the  open  field  engagement  of  July 
24th,  when  the  French  reinforcements  under 
D'Aubrey  suffered  a  disastron.s  defeat. 
Brant  received  an  English  education  through 
the -liberality  of  Sir  William  Johnson,  who 
employed  him  in  public  business  for  several 
years  and  contributed  to  his  advancement 
until  he  became  a  leading  man  of  the 
Mohawk  nation. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  revolutionary  war 
Tryon  county  included  all  of  the  colony  of 
New  Vork  west  and  soul  Invest  of  Schenec- 
tady, with  the  county  seat  at  Johnstown,  the 
residence  of  Sir  William  Johnson,  who  died 
suddenly  on  the  24th of  June,  l"/74,  and  was 
succeeded  in  his  title  and  estate  by  his  son, 
Sir  John  Johnson.  The  official  position? 
of  superintendent  of  the  Indian  department, 
and  maj  )r-general  of  militia,  held  by  Sir 
William,  were  conferred  on  his  sonin-law 
Col.  Guy  Johnson,  and  Joseph  Brant 
was  made  secretary  to  Guy  Johnson.  The 
leading  and  influential  men  of  Tryon  county 
at  that  date  were  Sir  John  and  Col.  John 
Johnson,  their  brother-in-law  Col.  Dan- 
iel Clans,  Col.  John  Butler  and  his 
son.  Walter  N.  Butler— all  bitter  partisans 
of  the  king.  \\i  170;^  the  Mohawks  number- 
ed 160  warriors,  the  Oneidas  250,  Tuscaroras 
140,  Onondagas  150.  Cayugas  200  and 
Senecas  1,050.  For  many  years  they  had  re- 
ceived their  supplies  through  Sir  William 
Johnson,  gone  to  him  for  advice  and  coun- 
sel, and  looked  upon  him  as  an  oracle.  At 
his  death  their  affections  A'ere  transferred 
to  his  family  and  successors.  They  had  been 
taught  to  reverence  the  name  of  the  king. 
believed  him  all  powerful,  and  considered 
the  officers  of  the  crown  their  best  friends. 
Hence  it  was  but  natural  that  they  should 
side  with  the  British  in  the  contest  between 
king  and  colonists.  In  1775  Guy  Johnson, 
Col.  John  Butler,  his  son  Walter  and  other 
tories,  Brant  and  a  number  of  Mohawks 
moved  to  Fort  Stanwix,  (Rome; 
thence  to  Ontario.  Oswego  and  Montreal. 
Sir  John  Johnson  subsequently  followed 
them,  and  returning  to  Oswego  raised  two 
battalions  of  tories  known  as  Royal  Greens, 
while  Colonel  Butler  recruited  a  body  of 
loyalists  terme  1  rangers.  These  troops  and 
those  Indians  of  the  Six  Nations  who  took 
up  arms  under  the  English  standard,  ravag- 
ed Tyron  County  with  relentless  fury  during 
the  war.  Brant  was  commissioned  a  captain 
in  the  British  service,  and  visited  England 
in  1775.  Returning  to  America  early  in 
1776  he  entered  into  the  conflict  with  all  the 
force  of  his  liery  nature,  and  was  speedily 
recognized  as  the  pyiucipal  war  chief  and 
master  spirit  of  the  British  Indian 
allies.  His  name  was  associate:! 
with  every  affair  in  which  Iudians 
were  engaged — often   unjustly— and  became 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


4B 


the  terror  of  the  American  border.  The 
Seneeas  being  the  moat  popular  of  the  Six 

Nations  and  farthest  from  the  theater  of 
war,  their  settlements  on  the  Genesee  be- 
came a  secure  retreat  whence  many  expe- 
ditious were  projected.  The  precise  date  with 
the  Mohawks  settled  in  the  Seneca  coun- 
try is  not  positively  known,  but  it  is  sup- 
posed that  they  came  directly  from  Cana- 
joharie  at  the  time  Juhusou,  Butler  and 
Brant  moved  to  F<ut  Stanwix  in  1775.  They 
located  near  the  Niagara  River  at  Lewis  ton, 
and  formed  a  considerable  village  along  the 
Ridge  on  the  present  road  between 
the  old  academy  building  and  the 
mountain  road  leading  up  Indian  hill 
to  the  Tuscarora  reservation.  Brant's  resi- 
dence was  a  block  house  that  ptood  near 
"Brant's  spring"  on  the  former  Isaac  Cook 
farm.  On  their  removal  the  Mohawks  car- 
ried with  them  a  bell  taken  from  the  church 
at  Canajoharie.  They  built  a  log  church  at 
Lewiston  and  hung  the  bell  on  a  pole  sus- 
pended from  the  crotch  of  a  tree.  Fort 
Niagara  was  then  the  headquarters  of  the 
British,  and  there,  and  at  Brant's  Mohawk 
village,  were  concocted  many  of  the 
schemes  of  rapine  and  carnage  that  devas- 
tated the  distant  borders  of  American  civili- 
zation. 

During  Brant's  absence  in  June,  1778.  Col. 
Butler  with  his  Tory  Rangers  and  a  detach- 
ment of  Sir  John  Johnson's  Royal  Greens, 
marched  from  Fort  Niagara  to  the  Genesee 
castle  at  the  contluence  of  the  Genesee  River 
and  Can&seraga  Creek,  where  they  were 
joined  by  500  Indians  under  Gi-en-gwah-toh 
(He-who-goes-in-the  smoke)  a  prominent 
Seneca  chief.  The  expedition  moved  up  the 
Canaseraga  Valley,  down  theConhocton  and 
Chemung  to  Tioga  Point,  embarked  upon  the 
Susquehanna  and  landed  about  twenty  miles 
above  Wyoming  which  place  was  attacked 
and  destroyed  with  terrible  slaughter.  The 
route  pursued  by  Butler's  expedition  was 
the  one  usually  followed  by  the  British  and 
their  savage  allies  when  making  forays  upon 
Eastern  settlements,  and  on  their  return. 
with  captives  and  plunder,  to  the  Genesee 
and  Niagara.  Occasionally  the  northern 
trails  were  used  between  Canaseraga  Creek 
and  Lake  Ontario,  and  war  parties  not  uu- 
trequently  crossed  the  site  of  Rochester. 
Butler's  Rangers  were  at  IrondeqUoit  Bay- 
several  times,  and  their  finai  exit  from  the 
lower  Genesee  was  through  the  present 
boundaries  of  the  city.  "During  the  revo- 
lution," said  Mary  Jemison,  who  then  resid- 
ed at  the  Genesee  castle,  "my  house  was  the 
home  of  Colonel  Butler  and  Brant,  whenever 
they  chanced  to  come  into  our  neighborhood, 
as  they  passed  to  and  from  Fort  Niagara, 
which  was  the  seat  of  their  military  opera- 
tions. Many  and  many  a  night  I  have 
pounded  samp  for  them  from  sunset  till  sun- 


rise, and  furnished  them  with  the  necessary 
provisions  and  clean  clothing  for  their 
journey." 

ii. 
The  atrocities  committed  at  Wyoming 
Cherry  Valley  and  other  frontier  settle- 
ments, induced  congress  to  attempt  the  de- 
struction of  all  the  towns  of  the  Six  Nations 
in  the  British  interest.  In  1770  Gen.  Sulli- 
van invaded  their  countrv,  and  on  hi*  march 
up  the  Chemung,  near  Elmira,  encountered 
a  large  force  of  British  and  Indians,  under 
Col.  Butler  and  Brant,  which  lie  defeated. 
On  the  arrival  of  the  army  at  the  head  of 
Conesus  Lake,  Gen.  Sullivan  sent  a  party, 
under  command  of  Lieut.  Boyd,  to  discover 
the  Genesee  Castle.  Boyd's  party  passed 
through  the  lines  of  Butler's  forces,  which 
lay  in  ambjsh  near  the  western  side  of  Con- 
esus inlet,  and  reached  a  deserted  Seneca 
town  near  the  Canaseraga  Creek,  undiscover- 
ed. On  attempting  to  return  the  following 
morning  Boyd  was  led  into  the  ambush  pre- 
pared for  Sullivan's  entire  army,  his  party 
cut  to  pieces,  and  himself  and  Sergeant 
Parker  made  captives.  Butler— knowing 
nothing  of  Boyd's  presence  in  his  rear — 
hearing  the  tiring,  supposed  that  Sullivan 
had  outflanked  aim,  and  at  once  retreated. 
Boyd  had  by  some  means  learned  that  Brant 
was  a  Free  Mason,  and  soliciting  an  inter- 
view with  the  chief,  made  himself  kuown  as 
a  "brother  in  distress."  The  appeal  was 
recognized,  and  Brant  immediately,  and  in 
the  strongest  language,  assured  Boyd  that 
his  life  would  be  spared.  Brant,  however, 
being  called  on  to  perform  some  service 
which  required  a  few  hours'  absence,  left 
the  prisoners  iu  the  charge  of  Col.  But- 
ler, who — upon  their  refusal  to  answer  his 
questions — delivered  them  over  to  the  In- 
elians  under  Little  Beard  for  torture.  "Pre- 
vious to  the  arrival  of  Sullivan's  army"  (at 
the  Genesse  Castle),  says  Peck's  History  of 
Rochester,  page  71,  "the  Indians  had  sent 
all  their  women  and  children  to  Silver  Lake, 
and  upon  the  first  appearance  of  the  Ameri- 
can troops  on  the  West  side  of  the  river  the 
enemy  fled  precipitately.  Brant,  with  his 
warriors  and  the  British  regulars,  took  the 
Moscow  trail  for  Buffalo  creek  and 
Niagara,  while  the  Troy  Rangers  went 
to  "  the  Caledonia  springs.  From  that 
place  Walker,  the  noted  British 
spy  was  sent  to  Fort  Niagara  with  instruc- 
tions to  obtain  a  sufficient  number  of  boats 
to  transport  the  Tories  and  meet  them  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Genesee  River.  The  Rangers 
then  came  down  the  trail  to  Red  Creek  ford 
at  the  rapids  in  South  Rochester,  where  they 
divided  into  two  parties,  one  going  directly 
to  the  lake  by  the  St.  Paul  street  route:  the 
other  over  the  portage  trail  to  Irondequoit 
landing,  thence  across  the  country  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Genesee,  where  the  boats  from 


44 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Niagara  found  the  entire  party  in  a  starving 
condition  some  days  later  " 

Niagara  remained  the  headquarters  of  the 
British,  and  at  the  close  of  the  war  the.  Mo- 
hawks were  still  residing  on  the  ridge  near 
Lewiston,  At  the  cessation  of  hostilities, 
the  Senecas  offered  them  a  tract  of  land  in 
the  Genesee  Valley,  but  the  Mohawks  did 
not  wish  to  reside  within  the  boundaries  of 
the  United  States,  and  eventually  settled  on 
the  Grand  River,  in  Canada,  widen  enters 
Lake  Erie  about  forty  mile?  above  the  falls 
of  Niagara.  Here  they  received  a  crown 
grant  of  six  miles,  breadth  from  each  side  of 
tho  river,  beginning  at  Lake  Erie  and  ex- 
tending in  that  proportion  to  the  head  of 
the  river,  about  proportion  to  the 
river,  about  100  miles.  This  grant 
was  doubtless  intended  solely 

for  the  Mohawks:  but  other  In- 
dian? of  the  Six  Nations,  including  some 
who  had  borne  arms  against  the  British  and 
Mohawks,  settled  there.  The  great  council 
fire  of  the  Iroquois  confederacy,  which  had 
been  kept  burning  at  Onondaga  from  time 
immemorial,  was  declared  extinguished  in 
1777  by  the  Oneidas  aud  Onondagas.  Brant 
never  resigned  his  station  as  principal  war 
chief  of  the  confederacy,  and  some  years 
after  the  Mohawks  settled  in  Canada:  the 
council  fire  was  declared  rekindled  mid  re- 
located at  the  Onondaga  village  on  the  Grand 
river  reservation. 

After  the  revolution  Brant  devoted  his 
time  principally  to  the  interests  of  his  people. 
From  1790  to  1800  he  was  through  the  lower 
Genesee  County  many  times.  ( )n  his  return 
from  the  Niagara  River  in  1703,  William 
Hencher,  of  Charlotte,  stopped  at  a  camp- 
ing ground,  on  the  site  of  ancient  Teg-a-tai- 
nasgh-que,  where  the  village  of  Caryor  Oak- 
field  now  stands,  and  there  found  Brant  with 
a  white  Servant.  The  chief  wss  well  dressed 
after  the  fashion  of  white  men:  but  before 
they  parted  he  changed  his  dress  entirely, 
putting  on  on  Indian  dress,  and  getting 
Tuscarora  Charles  I  an  Indian  accom- 
panying Hencher)  to  paint  him  like  an 
Indian  warror:  as  he  preferred  to  meet  the 
Indian*  at  Tonawanda  like  one  of  them- 
selves. Enos  Stone,  in  his  reminiscences  in 
"Phelps  and  Gorham's  Purchase."  page  425, 
relates  a  similar  incident.  "In  an  early 
day,"  he  says,  "I  was  stopping  with  my 
brother,  Orange."  The  latter  lived  Ml  "The, 
Rock  and  Tree"  East  Avenue  east  of  Brigh- 
ton village.  "Chauncey  Hyde  and  uyself 
were  out  hunting  cattle.  We  saw  a  smoke 
rising  at  the  Irondequoit  landing  and  went 
down  to  it.  We  found  that  it  proceeded 
from  an  Indian  camp:  as  we  approached  it 
two  Indians  rose  up  from  a  coach,  one  of 
whom  especially  attracted  our  attention. 
His    camp     equipage     we     thought    rather 


extraordinary  for  an  Indian.  He  was 
also  dressed — partly  as  a  white  man,  and 
partly  as  an  Indian — bid  us  good  morning 
with  great  civility,  and  displaying  a  gold 
watch  and  trimmings,  observed  that  being 
wearied  he  had  overslept.  He  soon  an- 
nounced himself  as  Joseph  Brant,  on  his 
way  from  Burlington  bay  to  Canandaigua. 
Having  arrived  in  a  boat  he  had  sent  Indian 
runners  to  Canandaigua  lor  horses,  and'was 
waiting  their  return.  He  accepted  an  invi- 
tation and  came  up  with  us  to  my  brother's. 
His  familiar  conversation  and  gentlemanly 
manners  soon  convinced  us  that  he  was  not 
the  savage  we  had  conceived  him  to  be, 
from  accounts  we  had  heard  and  read 
of  him,  in  connection  with  the  bor- 
der wars.  He  quieted  our  apprehensions 
of  any  farther  Indion  troubles  by  assnriug 
us  that  as  the  Senecas  had  sold  their  lands 
to  the  whiles,  the  bargain  should  be  carried 
out  in  good  faith  and  the  new  settlements 
should  not  be  molested.  He  manifested 
much  interest  in  all  that  was  going  on  in 
this  region,  and  inquired  where  now  settle- 
ments were  commencing.  The  visit  gave  us 
great  pleasure  and  quieted  oar  fears.  In 
person  Joseph  Brant  bore  a  close  resem- 
blance to  General  Brady  of  the  United 
States  Army." 

To  return  to  the  day  and  the  occasion 
which  brings  me  here,  I  can  truthfully  say 
that  t  his  is  the  most  notable  gathering  of 
tho  Six  Nations  since  the  revolution.  There 
are  here  from  Canada  and  the  United  States 
several  thousand  delegates  together  with 
Crees,  Bloods,  Piegans  and  Bla«-kfeet  from 
northwest  territory  under  Col.  McDonald 
and  Interpreters  P.  Hourie  and  J.  L.  Heu- 
reux.  Many  distinguished  Canadians  and 
Americans  are  here.  The  procession  at  12 
o'clock  marched  through  the  principal 
streets  to  Victoria  Square.  It  included  the 
Duflerin  Ritles,  chiefs,  warriors,  Indian 
bands,  the  Brant  Memorial  Association,  dis- 
tinguished guests.  Eieutenant-Governor 
Robinson,  the  Bnrford  Cavalry,  Gen- 
eral Sir  T.  Middleton.  president  of 
the  Memorial  Association,  the  mayor,  coun- 
cil, warden  and  county  council.  At  the 
square  prayer  was  offered  by  'he  Rev.  Mr. 
Cochrane.  After  an  address  by  the  president 
of  the  association,  the  monument  wa*  un- 
veiled  by  the  sculptor  and  twelve  cniefs.  An 
address  by  the  lieutenant  governor  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  singing  of  the  Brant  memorial 
song.  The  Mendelssohn  Society  sang  the 
memorial  ode.  Addresses  were  made  by  the 
chief  o  the  Six  Nations,  aud  general  super- 
intendent of  Indian  affairs.  The  president 
of  the  association  finally  presented  the 
monument,  which  is  a  magnificent  work  of 
art,  to  the  mayor  of  Brantford. 

George  H.  Haekis. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


45 


ARORItilNAL  STQXK  IMPLEMENTS. 

Some  A  rah  Wo  logical  Notes  of  Wyoming 
and  Lackawanna  Valleys,  by  I>r.  H. 
HoTUM.'e'r,  of  Scran  ton,  whose  Cabinet 
Embraces  80,000  Specimens. 

When  the  whites  iirst  entered  the  solitude 
of  the  Wyoming  and  Lackawanna  wilder- 
ness in  search  of  homes  in  1762  they 
found  the  occupants  representing  the 
true  stone  age.  No  iron,  steel  or  brass 
utensils  were  here:  few  bone  and  fewer  cop- 
per implements  had  found  their  way  into 
the  hands  of,  the  self  reliant  and  ingenious 
aborigines.  Whether  the  Indian  drifted 
along  the  Susquehanna  in  his  canoe  or 
sought  the  wigwam  he  had  planned  upon  its 
banks  for  repose,  he  looked  to  his  flint- 
pointed  arrow  and  spear  point,  his  sling- 
stone  and  his  sturdy  stone  tomahawk  for 
the  sustenance,  independence  and  supre- 
macy he  enjoyed.  They  served  his  purpose 
well.  The  forest  swarmed  with  game  as  yet 
unstartled  by  the  sound  of  the  gun  or  the 
hound,  and  the  streams,  unvexed  with  the 
subtlety  of  seines,  abounded  with  shad  and 
trout. 

Along  the  Upper  Lackawanna  four  Indian 
villages  stood  one  hundred  and  twenty-four 
years  ago;  the  two  principal  ones  were 
Capoose  at  Scranton  and  Asserughney  at  the 
forks  of  the  Lackawanna  with  the  Susque- 
hanna at  Pittston,  while  from  Nanticoke  to 
this  point  were  several.  On  the  Pittston 
side  no  evidence  appears  of  the  presence  of 
the  tribal  rac^  until  Port  Blanchard  is 
reached.  Here  Miner  describes  an  ancient 
fortress  with  its  debris,  which  was 
probably  built  and  nsed  by  some  people 
prior  to  the  occupancy  of  the  country 
by  the  red  man.  Upon  the  Shawnee  flats 
and  on  the  spot  where  Wilkes-Barte  now 
stands  as  well  as  upon  the  opposite  lands, 
the  wigwams  diversified  the  plains  with 
their  smoke  when  Zinzendorf,  in  174*2,  vi-it- 
ed  Wyoming  as  a  missionary  and  as  the  first 
white  man,  to  look  upon  the  wild  luxuriance 
of  the  fascinating  valley. 

The  Mousey  tribe  inhabited  the  La-hr-ha- 
na  Valley,  while  the  Nantieokes.  the  Shaw- 
nees,  the  Delawares,  with  Teedyuscung  as 
chief,  and  other  clans  patrolled  Wyoming. 
These  tribes  all  belonged  to  the  confedera- 
tion of  the  Six  Nations,  formed  by  the  union 
of  the  Mohawk^,  Senecus,  (jnondagas, 
Oneidas,  Cayugas  and  the  Tuscaroras.  whose 
council  fires  illumed  the  great  lakes  of 
New  York,  and  whose  stone  contrivances 
were  of  a  similar  character  to  those  found 
here. 


No  section  of  country,  however,  furnished 
the  student  of  archaeology  greater  reward 
for  his  time  and  labor  than  that  strip  of  land 
lying  at  the  junction  of  the  Lackawanna 
with  the  Susquehanna.  The  Indian  village 
of  Asserughney  stretched  from  Falling 
Spring  to  the  mouth  of  the  Lackawanna,  a 
distance  of  half  a  mile.  Here,  under  the 
shailows  of  Campbell's  Ledge,  whose  summit 
served  as  a  lookout  for  miles,  he  fashioned 
his  tent  and  lived  in  the  deep  solitude  of  his' 
forest  home,  in  plenty  and  safety. 

Around  this  and  other  deserted  villages  a 
vast  amount  of  stone  implements  have  been 
found,  after  each  spring's  freshet,  during 
the  last  half  century.  Hon.  Steuben  Jen- 
kins, of  Wyoming— than  whom  there 
is  no  greater  archaeologist  within  the 
State  —  whoso  magnificent  collection 
of  Indian  relics  is  only  surpassed 
by  my  own  of  over  twenty  thousand  pieces, 
has  gathered  from  the  east  bank  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna every  known  implement  of  peace 
and  every  weapon  of  warfare  once  owned  and 
used  by  the  warriors.  It  is  the  most  fruitful 
archaeological  field  within  the  two    vaileys. 

The  sliny  stone — which  some  have  mis- 
taken lor  sinkers — found  hero  in  great 
abundance,  was  an  oval  flat  stono  with  an 
indentation  in  its  side  for  a  thong  of  deer 
sinew  or  twisted  grass,  which  was  thrown 
with  great  force  and  precision  against  rab- 
bits, pheasants,  squirrels,  turkeys  and  lesser 
game  upon  all  sides.  Throwing  this  stone 
made  no  noise  like  the  report  of  a  rifle  and 
the  result  was  that  all  wild  animals  were 
comparatively  tame,  because  they  were  un- 
conscious of  fear.  The  weight  of  these  stone 
was  from  an  ounce  to  three  pounds. 

The  arrow  point  was  the  principal  weapon 
of  offense  and  defence.  Of  these  a  hundred 
or  more  varieties,  and  some  of  the  most  ex- 
quisite and  rare  workmanship,  h*ve  been 
washed  from  the  graves  and  found  in  perfect 
condition.  The  common  arrow  uoints,  con- 
structed from  the  flinty  stone?  found  on  the 
banks  of  our  rivers,  were  affixed  to  the  shaft 
of  the  arrow,  about  one  foot  and  a  half  in 
length,  so  that  they  ?ould  be  pulled  out  and 
used  again  if  not  broken.  The  serrated  or 
saw  arrow  point  was  used  for  making  ugly 
wounds  and  lacerating  blood  vessels.  There 
being  no  surgeons  among  the  tribes  these 
skillfully  notched  points  could  not  be  ex- 
tracted and  would  of  course  produce  a  lin- 
gering death.  Trie  sharp  war  point,  always 
built  from  silex,  was  so  shaped  and  affixed 
to  the  arrow  that  the  stem  could  be  taken 
from  the  victim,  leaving  the  point  to  irritate 
and  nroduce  inflammation  and  death. 

A  blunt  point  was  used  by  the  young  bucks 
to  practice  with.  They  were  fashioned  blunt 
for  obvious  reasons  Long  and  slender 
points  were  used  for  shooting  tish  and  for 
penetrating    the  vitals    of    moose,  bear  and 


40 


Til E  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


deer.    Smaller  ones  were  used  for    killing 
birds. 

A  javelin,  or  large  spear  point,  nine 
inches  in  length  and  rive  inches  in  width,  of 
red  flint,  was  found  in  Capoose  Mound  in 
Scranlon.  It  had  been  v<t^i  and  the  tip  was 
broken  in  Rome  conflict.  Its  immense  size 
would  indicate  a  chief  as  its  possessor  at  the 
time  of  its  burial. 

A  long  slender  arrow  or  spear  point,  seven 
inches  in  length  and  one  and  a  half  in  width 
was  used  for  killing  animals  requiring  great 
penetration  of  thrust  to  reach  the  vital  parts. 

For  agricultural  purposes  the  savages  had 
a  vast  quantity  of  implements,  sometimes 
rudely  made,  but  always  serving  the  requir- 
ed purpose.  A  pick,  or  grubbing  hoe, 
twelve  inches  in  length, with  a  depression  for 
a  withe  handle,  served  the  tiller  of  the  soil  in 
every  exigency.  The  squaws  planted  the 
corn,  hoed  the  tobacco  and  vines,  and  did 
all  manual  labor  with  patience  and  ease.  A 
flat  stone  hoe,  with  its  sides  notched  for  the 
handle,  could  be  used  in  the  sandy  soil  of 
the  river  banks  to  great  advantage*  A  pick 
ten  inches  in  length  was  employed  in  dig- 
ging and  planting  deeper  in  the  gromd.  It 
was  a  strong  tool  and  it  had  great  power  of  ■ 
resistance.  Its  weight  was  about  five  pounds. 

One  great  source  of  amusement  of  the 
brave  was  the  pitching  of  quoits.  It  not  only 
afforded  him  amusement,  but  by  long,  steady 
habit,  made  him  proficient  in  throwing  the 
sling  stone  and  the  tomahawk. 

Their  four  weapons  of  warfare  were  the 
arrow,  the  battle  ax,  the  death  maul  and  the 
tomahawk.  A  single  and  a  double  edged 
tomahawk  with  the  wooden  handle  was 
fastened  in  the  deep  groove  wit  h  deer  skin.  In 
the  strong  hands  of  the  Indian  they  were  a  for 
midable  instrument  to  defend  tjieir  wigwams 
or  to  meet  a  foe.  They  fought  from  face  to 
face  and  the  victory  was  a  matter  of  the 
strongest  blows. 

A  scalping  or  skinning  stone  could  have  a 
single  or  a  double  edge.  These  stones,  found 
in  all  Indian  localities,  were  used  for  skin- 
ning purposes,  and  they  were  rubbed  or 
ground  down  to  an  edge  sharp  as  a  knife.  I 
have  several  hundred  in  my  collection. 

Two  death  mauls,  constructed  with  singu- 
lar ingenuity  and  labor,  weighing  fifteen 
pounds,  with  a  deep  depression  entirely 
around  them  for  the  reception  of  th*  handle, 
used  for  killing  their  captives,  were  found  at 
Pittston  in  1857. 

An  Indian  mortar  or  grist  mill,  for  grind- 
ing corn  into  na-samp  or  samp,  was  the 
primitive  mode  of  pulvervizing  corn.  This 
mortar  has  a  capacity  of  about  two  quarts 
and  weighs  about  sixty  pounds.  A  few  miles 
east  of  Scran  ton  on  Bald  Mount  are  several 
holes  in  the  projecting  rock,  holding  two  or 
three  quarts,  which  were  once  used  by  the 
Indians  for  grinding  corn. 


Pestles  varying  in  length  from  six  inches 
to  two  feet  were  used  for  pounding  corn. 
These  were  always  used  by  females  as  no 
male  deigned  to  do  manual  labor.  Warfare 
and  hunting  were  his  only  pastime.  Some- 
times they  were  made  from  burned  clay,  but 
generally  from  stone.  The  largest  one  in 
my  collection  weighs  ninety  pounds  and  was 
used  for  crushing  the  corn  by  rolliug.  This 
was  found  at  the  mouth  of  the  Lackawanna, 
while  a  small  one,  a  foot  in  length,  about 
the  size  of  a  broom-handle  was  picked  up 
at  Falling  Spring  in  1862,  by  Dr.  Sturdevant, 
of  VVilkes-Barre.  Some  of  these  have  an 
indenture  upon  one  end  by  which  they  were 
affixed  to  a  bending  sapling  when  used, 
and  could  thus  be  carried  upon  the  person 
of  tho  owner.  All  these  corn  pounders, 
some  two  hundred  in  number,  exhibit  great 
skill,  use  and  age. 

Amulets  made  from  dark  seamless  stone«, 
from  four  to  six  inches  in  length,  generally 
with  a  hole  through  them  were  worn  by 
chieftains  for  personal  ornament,  and  an 
emblem  of  authority,  and  to  ward  off  dis- 
ease and  propitiate  the  gods  to  send  the 
tribes  good  luck.  The  holes  were  made  for 
transportation  purposes. 

A  stone  bird,  so  constructed  that  it  could 
be  carried  by  the  owner,  neatly  carved  from 
gray  stone,  was  found  at  Throop,  above 
Scranton.  It  was  worn  like  the  amulet  by 
the  virgin  daughters  of  the  chiefs  as  evi- 
dence of  royalty,  and  for  the  purpose  of 
charming  away  danger  and  insuring  good 
crops  of  corn  and  tobacco.  It  is  about  four 
inches  in  length. 

A  string  of  wampun  and  beads  were  ex- 
humed from  Capoose  Mound  some  years 
ago.  They  were  manufactured  from  bone 
and  small  shells.  In  Connecticut,  in  lbU7, 
a  certain  number  of  blue  ani  black  beads 
was  made  a  legal  tender  for  a  penny.  In 
1G71,  this  law  was  repealed. 

A  ceremonial  stone,  shaped  like  a  hatchet, 
dull  on  its  edge,  about  six  inches  long,  with 
a  large  hole  through  the  centre  for  the  han- 
dle, was  carried  upon  the  occasion  of  a  war 
dance  or  marriage,  as  we  carry  the  American 
flag  as  a  part  of  the  ceremony. 

Stone  rings  with  a  small  hole  drilled 
through  the  upper  portion,  weighing  about 
an  ounce,  were  also  worn  as  decorations 
suspended  by  the  neck  or  from  the  ear. 

No  article  of  luxury,  however,  was  con- 
structed with  more  care,  cherished  with 
holier  memories,  loved  with  more  constant 
fervor  than  the  Indian's  pipe.  Their  calu- 
met or  pipe  of  peace  was  among  their  most 
prized  and  sacred  articles  of  all  .stone  imple- 
ments of  the  wigwam.  How  long  the  red 
man  had  smoked  his  pipe  along  the  Mohawk 
or  the  Hudson  before  the  discovery  we  know 
not,  but  the  white  man  was  not  cursed  with 
the  knowledge  of   tobacco  until  Sir  Walter 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


47 


Raleigh   introduced   it   into  England   from 

America.  A  black  stone  pipe  with  repre- 
sentations of  a  wolf  on  one  end  and  a  bear 
upon  the  other,  the  bowl  upheld  by  a  warrior 
upon  either  side,  and  a  large. log  underneath 
the  whole,  is  in  my  possession  with  many 
others,  and  it  gives  the  Indian's  idea  of  as- 
tronomy, 

A  large  number  of  stono  relics  are  in  my 
hands  whose  name  and  use  I  know  nothing 
about. 

The  collection  of  Mr.  Jenkins  is  far 
superior  to  mine  in  pipes  and  pottery. 

Upon  every  cheek  that  ever  bloomed  aud 
smiled  beauty  will  fade,  but  these  memen- 
toes of  another  day  and  another  race, 
neglected  by  many  and  treasured  by  but 
few,  will  ever  remain  in  the  hands  of  the 
arcrueologist  perfect  in  their  simplicity  and 
beautiful  in  their  silence.      H.  Hollistek. 


offers  until  Mr.  Cu minings  offered  to  buy  it 
for  Lehigh  University.  Prof.  E.  11.  Wil- 
liams has  charge  of  the  collection  and  ho  is 
vt  ry  proud  of  Mr.  Cummings'  very  fine,  do- 
nation. It  will  be  known  as  the  Cummings 
archa.-ologieal  collection. 


Valuable  Archaeological  Collection. 

[Bethlehem  Times.  ] 
The  Lehigh  University  ha-  been  presented 
with  a  valuable  archaeological  collection 
of  from  1,500  to  2,000  specimens  by  Chas. 
H.  Cummings,  of  Mauch  Chunk.  The  col- 
lection illustrates  the  weapons  and  utensils 
of  the  Indian  tribes  formerly  living  along 
the  Susquehanna  and  in  the  eastern  part 
of  Pennsylvania.  It  is  particularly  valuable 
because,  instead  of  being  a  collection  from 
ail  over  the  country,  with  but  one  or  two 
specimens  from  a  single  loealitj,  it  is  a  very 
complete  collection  from  a  single  locality, 
and  its  hows  very  fully  the  habits 
and  local  peculiarities  of  the  Indians  of  this 
locality.  The  collection  contains  from  50  to 
75  perfect  specimens  of  stone  axes,  both 
grooved  and  ungrooved:  a  tine 
lot  of  stone  mortars  and  pestles:  net  sinkers. 
banner  stones,  picks,  pipes  cooking  pots,  etc. 
The  banner  stones  are  curiously  cut  stones, 
which  the  old  Indian  chiefs  would  carry  on 
the  ends  of  loug  sticks.  These  stones  were 
to  the  Indians  what  our  flags  are  to  us.  Ac- 
companying the  collection  are  the  fragments 
of  an  old  mound  builder's  skull,  found  at 
Durande  Wis.  There  are  also  water  jugs 
found  in  a  mound  near  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  on 
which  were  trees  having  1,000  annular  rin^s, 
which  indicates  that  the  jugs  are  over  1,000 
years  old.  The  collection  comprises  several 
hundred  very  tine  arrow  heads  and 
spear  heads,  and  a  great  deal  of  shell 
wampum.  Mr.  Cummings  purchased  the 
collection  from  Dr.  Stubbs.  of  Oxford.  Pa., 
an  enthusiast  on  the  subject,  who  has  made 
the  gathering  of  this  collection  a  part  of  his 
life  work.  The  doctor  was  getting  old  and 
so  looked  about  him  for  somebody  who 
would  buy  his  collection  as  a  whole  and  keep 
it  together.  The  dealers  were  very  anxious 
to  get  hold  of  the  collection  andbr^ak  it  up 
in  small    lots,    but    the    doctor    refused  all 


Mr.  Wilson's  Recollections. 
Mt.  Vernon,  ()..  Oct.    1,    1886.— Editob 

Recokd:  I  was  much  interested,  among  your 
other  historical  matter,  in  the  reminiscences 
of  Sam.  Wright.  Sara  commenced  business 
selling  small  beer  and  baking  on  River  Streot, 
in  an  old  building  on  the  ground  where  now 
stands  the  John  N.  Conyngham  homestead. 
There  were  three  old  buildings  there,  and 
River  Street  was  the  business  street  of  the 
town  05  years  ago.  The  old  building  was 
said  to  have  been  washed  across  the  river 
in  the  great  pumpkin  freshet  and  landed 
down  on  the  flat  near  the  residence  of  Jabez 
Fish  (the  site  of  W.  L.  Conyngham's  resi- 
dence) and  was  afterwards  moved  up  to 
where  it  stood  on  River  Street.  There  were 
really  three  houses:  the  first  my  mother  lived 
in,  the  second  was  occupied  by  Sam.  Wright 
with  his  cake  aud  beer  shop:  and  Jacob 
Rudolph  occupied  the  third  as  a  shoe  shop. 
The  old  shoe  shop  now  stands  on  the  Conyng- 
ham farm  and  you  can  tell  it  to-day  by  a 
large  square  window  in  the  south  end,  where 
Rudolph  did  his  cutting. 

Sam  Wright  was  a  good  old  man.  But  I 
may  think  so  from  the  fact  that  he  kept  me 
we'd  supplied  with  good  sweet  cakes  for 
doing  small  errands  for  him,  and  he  gave 
me  the  first  oyster  I  ever  ate.  I  will  never 
forget  it.  It  did  not  stay  with  me  long.  The 
old  man  was  the  friend  of  all  the  boys,  and 
some  .f  the  toniest  boys  in  the  town  thought 
it  a  great  favor  to  go  and  sleep  with  the  old 
man.  The  next  house  north  was  old  Jacob 
Cist's  stone  house,  and  the  next  Mr.  Cist's 
old  yellow  store:  and  there  is  where  I  saw 
the  rirst  Indian  pot  I  ever  saw.  It  was  sit- 
ting on  the  shelf  ^vith  a  hole  through  the 
shelf  to  make  it  stand  up,  and  it  is  now  in 
the  Wyoming  Historical  and  Geological 
Socieiy.  Next  building  was  Henry  Young's 
gunsmith  shop,  and  the  next  the  Arndt  hotel, 
aud  then  the  Hollenback  store  on  the  cor- 
ner of  South  and  River.  Across  the  street 
was  the  Richardson  hotel;  on  up  River 
Street  was  Howe  <.fc  Dennis'  copper  ai  d  tin 
shop,  and  above  George  Flakes'  wagon  shop 
and  tire  patterns.  So  jou  see  that  River 
Street  was  the  business  street  of  the  town 
many  years  ago.  H.  C.  Wilson. 


The  Media  American  publishes  in  its  issue 
of  October  13,  a  valuable  article  by  Philip 
Lennou  on  "The  Doanes—  the  notorious  out- 
laws in  Bucks  County/'  a ceutary  and  more 


48 


THE  HISTORICAL  TiECOUD. 


A   MASONIC   FUNERAL.  IN    177.). 


First  Lodge  Met  in  Northern  I'iMins.vlva 
nia  — Hones  of  ihe  Martyrs  Thrice  In- 
terred. 

As  au  advance  detachment  of  General 
Sullivan's  army  was  approaching 
the  Valley  of  Wyoming  in  April, 
1779,  it  was  fired  on  by  a  small 
baud  of  Indians  lying  in  ambush  at  a  point 
near  whore  General  Oliver's  powder  mills 
now  are  on  Laurel  Run,  and  Captain  Joseph 
Davis  and  Lieut.  William  Jones,  of  a  Dela- 
ware regiment,  were  shun.  The  bodies  re- 
ceived a  hasty  burial  near  the  spot  where 
they  fell,  for  soldiers  on  the  march  have  little 
time  to  waste  on  sympathy.  On  the  arrival 
of  the  invading  army  en  route  to  accomp- 
lish its  mission  of  forever  wiping  out  the 
power  of  the  once  mighty  Six  Nations  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  in  the  month  of  July 
following,  the  remains  were  exhumed  and 
reburied  with  imposing  Masonic  services  by 
brother  Masons  belonging  to  the  army.  So 
far  as  is  known,  by  either  record  or  tradi- 
tion, it  was  on  this  occasion  that  the  first 
lodge  of  Free  Masons  ever  met  on  this  side 
of  the  Blue  Mountains,  was  opened  in  due 
and  ancient  form  in  Colonel  Proctor's 
marquee,  which  was  probably  pitched 
somewhere  on  what  is  now  the  Com- 
mon on  the  river  front  of  our 
city,  the  object  being  to  arrange  a  funeral 
service  for  the  re-interment  of  their  brethren 
slain  on  the  mountain  the  preceding  April. 
We  have  no  means  of  knowing  whether  the 
more  solemn  portion  of  the  Masonic  burial 
service  took  place  in  the  secrecy  of  the 
lodge  room  at  that  time,  as  -it  does  no*\  or 
not,  but  the  following  account  of  the  impos- 
ing ceremony  on  depositing  the  bodies  in 
the  grave  is  copied  from  the  Providence, 
Rhode  Island,  Gazette  of  Sept.  13,  1779: 

"Wyoming,  July  31,  177'.j  —On  Tuesday- 
last,  the  2fith  inst.,  agreeable  to  previous  de 
termination,the  bodies  of  our  brethren,  Capt. 
Joseph  Davis  and  Lieut.  William  Jones,  who 
were  massacred  by  savages  near  this  post  on 
the  23d  of  April  last,  were  re-interred.  This 
mark  of  respect  we  thought  necessary  for 
the  following  reasons:  it  being  expressive  of 
our  esteem  and  their  not  being  buried  in  the 
proper  grave-yard.  The  form  of  procession 
being  fixed  upon  at  lodge  No.  19,  was  as 
follows: 

1.  Twenty-four  Musketeers  with  reversed 
arms. 

2.  Two  Tylers  bearing  their  swords. 

3.  A  band  of  music. 

4.  Two  Deacons  with  wands. 

5.  Three  brethren  bearing  the  orders. 

0.  The  Holy  Bible  and  Book   of   Constitu- 
tions. 
7.  Two  Reverend  brothers. 


8.  The  Wor  hipful  Master,  with  Hon. 
Major  General  Sullivan. 

9.  Senior  aud  Junior  Wardens,  bearing 
their  columns. 

JO.  The  Treasurer  and  Secretary. 

11.  Past  Master. 

12.  The  brethren,  two  and  two. 

13.  Gentlemen  of  the  Army. 

14.  Two  corps  of  drams  mullled  and  lifes 
playing  a  solemn  dirge. 

The  brethren  were  neatly  clothed  with 
jewels,  etc.,  and  were  in  numbers  odd  of  one 
hundrt  d  and  fifty.  Just  as  we  arrived  at  the 
ground  an  exceeding  easy  gust  of  rain  com- 
ing up  prevented  the  delivery  of  a  discourse 
which  had  been  prepared  for  the  occasion  by 
Brother  William  Rogers,  a  short  and  suitable 
prayer  being  by  him  offered  up.  We  then 
committed  their  bodies  in  Masonic  form  to 
the  dust.  Afterwards  three  vollies  of  small 
arms  were  discharged.  The  Brotherhood 
were  attended  by  the  Pennsylvania  Regi- 
ment of  Infantry,  commanded  by  Col. 
Habley,  as  likewise  by  a  great  concourse  of 
people,  both  inhabitants  and  soldiery.  The 
melancholy  scene  was  clothed  with  the 
usual  decorum  amongst  the  brethren  and 
satisfaction  to  all  the  bystanders.  A  stone 
being  prepared  by  our  brethren  Forest  and 
Story  with  suitable  inscription,  was  tixed  at 
the  head  of  their  graves." 

The  first  interment  was  on  the  top  of  the 
W7ilkes-Barre  Mountain,  near  where  Charles 
Parrish's  sylvan  residence  now  is.  The  oue 
here  spoken  of  was  withiu  a  few  teet  of  the 
corner  of  Market  and  Washington  Streets, 
on  ground  now  occupied  by  the  skating  rink, 
but  they  were  not  permitted  to  enjoy  a  final 
resting  place  even  here.  A  marble  head- 
stone had  taken  the  place  of  the  rude  one  set 
by  their  Masonic  brethren  at  the  re-inter- 
ment, so  that  the  graves  were  readily  recog- 
nized in  after  years,  and  when  the  removal 
of  the  bones  of  the  forefathers  of  the  hamlet 
were  ruthlessly  shoveled  up  by  the  unsyinpa- 
thiziug  stranger  workmen  not  many  years 
ago,  and  some  of  them  removed 
to  the  new  cemetery,  the  remains  of  these 
two  victims  of  savage  warfare  were  atrain 
dug  up  and  removed  to  the  Hollenback 
Cemetery,  and  again  interred  with  hi^h 
Masonic  ceremonies  conducted  by  old  Lodge 
61,  with  Hendriek  B.  W right  as  worshipful 
master:  where  it  is  hoped  they  may  be  per- 
mitted to  re>t  in  undisturbed  repose  until 
the  last  trumpet  shall  sound  and  bid  the 
dead  awake  and  come  to  judgment.      \v.  j. 

[So  far  as  we  know  the  above  newspaper 
extract  has  never  been  reprinted.  We  are 
informed  by  Dr.  Hollister  that  he  copied  it 
from  an  issue  of  the  patter  mentioned,  in 
the  possession  of  Pulaski  Carter,  of  Provi- 
dence, Pa.  The  Gazette,  was  published  at 
Providence,  Pi.  I.,  by  John  Carter,  probably 
an  ancestor  of  Pulaski  Carter.— Ed.] 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


49 


U<»w  We  Acquired  Our  Domain. 

The  Public -Domain  of  the  United  States 
are  lands  in  which  the  general  Government 
lias  exclusive  property,  whether  they  be 
situated  iu  the  States  or  Territories.  They 
are  those  of  which  Henry  Clay,  when  he 
first  ran  for  President  in  lb3:i,  said  "no  sub- 
ject which  has  presented  itself  to  the  pres- 
ent, or  perhaps  any  preceding  Congress, 
was  of  greater  magnitude  than  that  of  the 
public  lands.  Long  after  we  shall  cease  to 
be  agitated  by  other  public  questions  now 
before  us  the  public  lands  will  remain  a 
subject  of  deep  and  enduring  interest." 
Our  public  domain  has  been  acquired  by 
cessions,  purchase  and  conquest,  and,  in 
view  of  its  rapid  absorption,  and  the  opin- 
ions involved,  it  is  interesting  now  to  review 
its  history. 

The  British  subjects  who  came  to  this  coun- 
try were  obliged  to  comply  with  three  condi 
tions  before,  as  individuals,  or  colonies, 
they  acquired  full  title  to  the  land:  First, 
A  grant  from  the  Crown  of  Great  Britain; 
►Second,  Extinguishment  from  the  Indian 
title,  and  Third,  Possession.  Of  the  Indian 
titles,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that,  sham 
philanthropy  to  the  contrary  notwithstand- 
ing, no  set  of  people  on  earth  %vere  ever 
treated  with  the  consideration  our  Iudians 
have  often  received,  under  circumstances 
constantly  the  most  exasperating,  in  treat- 
ing with  them  for  their  lands.  It  Las  rarely 
occurred  that  they  have  been  cheated, 
treacherous  and  deceptive  though  they  them- 
selves are. 

By  treaty  of  1783,  the  result  of  the  Revo- 
lutionary war,  the  United  States  was  recog- 
nized as  extending  from  the  Atlantic  ocean 
to  the  Mississippi  River,  and  from  the 
Great  Lakes  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  compris- 
ing 830,000  square  miles.  Most  of  the 
land  lying  west  of  the  Allegheny  Mountains, 
viz.:  405,000  square  miles,  known  as  ''Crow 
Lands,"  became  the  subject  of  a  protracted 
struggle  for  ownership  between  the  colonies, 
when  that  war  broke  out — owing  to  the  in- 
definite grants  by  the  British  Crown.  These 
serious  differences  were  averted,  however, 
about  the  close  of  the  war,  by  all  ceding  their 
lands  in  dispute  to  the  general  Government. 
The  part  lying  north  of  the  River  Ohio, 
known  as  the  ''Northwest  Territory,"  was 
claimed  by  four  colonies,  each  a  part,  some 
all;  namely,  Massachusetts,  Connecticut, 
New  York  and  Virginia.  In  the  south  the 
Carolinas  and  Georgia  claimed  extensions 
westward  to  the  Mississippi. 

In  September,  1770.  in  order  to  give  in- 
centive to  the  soldiers,  Congress  resolved  to 
donate  bounty  lands  for  military  services. 
But  the  general  Government  had  no  lands  to 
give.  They  were  claimed  exclusively  by  a 
few  of  the  colonies,  and  of  the  others  it  is 
surprising  that  only  one  saw  how  she  would 


be  impoverished  by  attempting  t<>  execute 
this  resolution.  To  little  Maryland  appears 
to  belong  solely  thi*  foresight,  which  eventu- 
ated in  the  creation  of  the  public  domain. 
Maryland's  delegates  in  Congress  were  at 
once  directed  by  the  home  Legislature  to 
oppose  the  above  resolution,  but  they  were 
entirely  alone  in  their  opposition,  and  Vir- 
ginia, establishing  a  land  oilice,  proceeded 
to  deal  out  some  3,000  claims.  But  Mary- 
land persisted  in  her  efforts;  caused  her 
delegates  in  1770  to  refuse  to  sign  the  Arti- 
cles of  Confederation  then  so  necessary  to 
give  strength  to  our  country's  cause,  and, 
by  1780,  to  meet  the  demands  of 
the  war,  New  York  agreed  to  cede  her  claims 
in  the  Northwest  to  the  general  Government. 
Virginia's  delegates,  Jefferson  and  Madison, 
then  signed  articles  ceding  her  extra  lands, 
and  the  others  soon  following,  the  public 
domain  came  into  existence,  with  a  begin- 
ning of  about  two  hundred  andsixtj  million 
acres.     So  much  for  cessions. 

When  Jefferson  became  President  he  at 
once  be^an  efforts  to  purchase  New  Orleans 
of  the  French,  regarding  any  foreign  power 
in  ownership  of  that  island  and  city  as  the 
natural  and  certain  enemy  of  the  United 
States.  Two  million  dollars  were  offered  for 
it  and  declined,  but,  by  a  stretch  of  author- 
ity, and  a  stroke  of  diplomacy,  our  repre- 
sentative at  the  French  court,  Mr.  Monroe, 
purchased  of  Napoleon  Bonaparte  in  1803 
not  only  New  Orleans,  but  all  the  Louisiana 
district,  five  times  the  area  of  Franco  of  to- 
day. The  price  was  sixteen  million  dollars, 
one-fourth  of  which  i  if  they  amounted  to  so 
much)  was  to  be  paid  to  our  citizens  having 
claims  against  France  known  as  the  French 
Spoliation  Claims.  The  territory  thus  ac- 
quired was  about  seven  hundred  and  fifty- 
seven  million  acres,  and  is  now  cut  up  into 
eleven  States  and  six  Territories,  and  cost, 
including  interest,  three  and  three-fifths 
cents  an  acre.  In  1802  Georgia  ceded  her 
extra  fifty-seven  and  a  half  million  acres  to 
the  United  States,  but,  having  previously 
sold  most  of  it  to  the  Yazoo  companies,  it 
cost  us  six  million  two  hundred  thousand 
dollars,  about  11  cents  an  acre. 

Thirty-eight  million  acres  of  East  and  West 
Florida  still  owned  abroad  were  purchased 
of  Spain  in  1810.  for  six  and  a  half  million 
dollars.  Alaska,  whose  climate,  vegetation, 
minerals,  furs  and  fisheries  made  it  a  most 
valuable  acquisition,  was  purchased  of  Rus- 
sia, through  Baron  Stoeckel.  in  1807,  for 
seven  million  two  hundred  thousand  dollars; 
and  thus  three  hundred  and  seventy  million 
acres  were  added  to  the  public  domain. 

The  remainder  of  the  public  domain  has 
been  acquired  as  the  i>--ult  of  conquest. 
Mexico,  by  treaty  of  Cordova,  became  inde- 
pendent of  Spain  in  1821.  Texas,  belonging 
then  to  Mexico,  but  settled  mostly  by  emi- 


r,o 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


grants  from  tUo  United  States,  desired  to  be 
admitted  as  one  of  out-  State.-.  Mr.  (.'lay, 
then  Secretary  of  State,  offered  Mexico  one 
million  dollars  for  Texas  in  lb'27,  and  Mr. 
Van  Buren  offered  live  millions  in  1829— 
which  were  declined.  Texas  rebelled  against 
Mexico  and  obtained  separation  m  1836, 
but  still  failed  in  her  design  of  being  ad- 
mitted as  one  of  our  States.  The  North  had 
long  been  opposed  to  agrarian  extension  in 
the  South,  for  that  meant  extension  of  negro 
slavery.  But  the  South  was  victorious  in 
1813  and  elected  Polk  President  on  that 
issue,  linked  to  a  promiso  of  high  tariff. 
Texas  was  then  admitted  as  a  State  in  this 
Union,  and  war  with  Mexico  was  the  result. 
Texas  was  bankrupt,  and  for  the  public 
lauds  we  got  from  her,  sixteen  million  dol- 
lars of  her  debts  were  paid  by  this  country. 
But  this  was  more  than  balanced  in  the  end, 
for  the  Mexican  war  resulted  in  her  ceding 
to  us  New  Mexico  and  Upper  California  for 
fifteen  million  .dollars,  together  with  the 
Gadsden  purchase,  also  of  Mexico,  of  a  tract 
as  large  as  Pennsylvania,  for  ten  millions 
more. 

And  this  comprises  all  the  public  domain. 
The  aggregate  is  over  eighteen  hundred 
million  acres.  It  is  subject  to  a  great  va- 
riety of  acts,  by  virtue  of  which  it  has  been 
enormously  reduced  in  the  past  thirty  years. 
At  first  it  was  the  policy  of  the  Government 
to  dispose  of  it  as  a  means  of  revenue,  but 
it  was  soon  learned  that  the  greatest  real 
benefit  would  be  derived  from  such  disposi- 
tion as  would  enable  settlers  to  cultivate  it 
free  of  first  cost.  With  such  vast  possibili- 
ties before  them,  it  is  not  surprising  that 
politicians  have  run  mad,  and  many  specu- 
lators swamped;  that  the  United  States  is 
the  greatest  agricultural  country  in  the 
world,  and  the  mother  countries  view  with 
alarm  what  promises  to  be  the  strongest 
and  wealthiest  nation  in  the  woild  at  no  dis- 
tant day. 

The    Burying  Ground  at  White  Haven. 

On  Saturday,  Nov.  6.  a  meeting  of  the 
Laurel  Cemetery  Association,  White  Haven, 
was  held  for  the  purpose  of  dedicating  a 
newly  acquired  tract  of  land.  Religious 
exercises  were  conducted  by  the  local  clergy 
— Rev.  F.  Y.  Krug,  of  the  Presbj  terian:  Rev. 
H.  H.  Bruning.  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran; 
Rev.  G  H.  Pay,  of  the  Methodist,  and  Rev. 
d'Estaing  Jennings,  of  the  Episcopal.  Gaius 
L.  Halsey,  Esq.,  gave  an  interesting  histori- 
cal sketch  of  the  enterprise,  which  had  its 
inception  in  1842,  at  which  time  the  Lehigh 
Coal  &  Navigation  Co.  set  apart  a  tract  for  a 
public  burying  ground  and  as  a  site  for  a 
place  or  places  of  worship. 

In  17t>f>  the  first  newspaper  in  the  county 
''The  Herald  of  the  Times,."  was  published 
in  Wilkes-Barre, 


The  Old  Sullivan  Road. 

The  first  of  a  series  of  articles  bearing  the 
above  title  appeared  in  the  November  num- 
ber of  The  Guardian,  a  monthly  magazine 
of  the  Reformed  Church.  The  paper  is  con  - 
tiilmted  by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Kiefl'er,  of  Easton, 
the  editor  of  the  magazine,  and  is  of  histori- 
cal account,  inasmuch  as  it  relates  some  in- 
cidents hitherto  unpublished  or  inaccessible 
to  the  general  reader,  connected  with  Gen. 
Sullivan's  expedition  against  the  Western 
Indians,  which  set  out  from  Easton  on  its 
long  and  dangerous  march  in  the  year  1770. 
The  attention  of  the  State  Historical  Society, 
Philadelphia,  having  been  called  to  these 
articles,  the  librarian  has  written  to 
the  editor  of  the  Guardian  requesting  copies 
for  preservation  in  the  State  and  Revolution 
collections,  giving  also  the  much  desired  in- 
formation that  the  block  bearing  the  inscrip- 
tion "lb  ll's  Kitchen''  is  in  the  po.-session  of 
the  society,  having  been  purchased  of  Mr. 
Stokes,  of  Monroe  County,  some  years  ago. 
This  curious  and  celebrated  inscription  was 
cut  into  the  solid  wood  of  the  yellow  pine 
tree  on  Sallivan's  march  away  up  in  the  Po- 
couo  region  by  some  unknown  hand,  and 
after  having  been  removed  some  thirty 
years  ago,  ail  trace  of  it  was  lost,  no  one  be- 
mu  able  to  tell  what  had  become  of  it.  It 
will  be  of  interest  to  some  of  our  readers  to 
know  that  it  is  where  it  ought  to  be — in  the 
keeping  of  the  State  Historical  Society, 
1,300  Locust  Street,  t hiladelphia.—  Easton 
Free  Press. 


The  Battle  of  German  town. 

The  Germantown  Telegraph  for  Novem- 
ber 10  contains  an  historical  article  on 
"Ancient  Germantown,"  by  Rev.  S.  F. 
Hotchkin.  It  is  full  of  interesting  matter 
relating  to  the  Revolutionary  period  and 
of  the  occupation  of  Germantown  by  the 
British.  In  the  course  of  the  narration  it  is 
related  how  one  of  the  Keysers,  then  living 
there,  escaped  from  her  home  while  enter- 
taining under  compulsion  a  party  of  British 
soldiers,  she  thus  saving  the  family  silver 
and  a  line  horse.  The  silver  was  buried  and 
not  found  for  many  years.  "It  has  been 
seen,  the  writer  says,  by  Martiu  Coryell,  of 
Lambertville.  N.  J.,  a  descendant,  but  was 
lost  in  1833  by  a  robbery.  Mrs.  Coryell,  and 
her  sister,  Mrs.  John  Anderson,  are  des- 
cendants also  of  Mr.  Duy,  from  whom  Duy's 
Lane  takes  its  name."'  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Coryell  were  formerly  residents  of  Wilkes- 
Barre  and  have  a  host  of  Iriends  here.  A 
previous  article  by  Mr.  Hotchkin  was 
descriptive  of  "The  Chew  House  and  the 
Battle  of  Germantown."  The  series  form  a 
valuable  contribution  to  Revolutionary  his- 
tory. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


.1 


XANTKOKi;  PRESIJYTEKIA'N  (HI  IK  If 

Its  Early  History  -One  of  its  Eirst  Mod- 
erators, Kev.  E.  Hazard  Snowden,  Still 
Living. 

The  following  interesting  sketch  of  the 
Nanticoko  Presbyterian  Church  is  from  the 
Quarterly  Review,  a  neat  little  paper  issued 
from  the  Sua  office,  by  Rev.  G.  H.  Ingram, 
pastor  of  the  church: 

The  session  have  in  their  possession  the 
records  of  the  church  hack  as  far  as  Nov. 
27,  18:29.  Then  it  was  called  the  Church  of 
Hanover  and  Newport.  At  the  organization 
there  were  two  ministers  present,  Rev. 
Cyrus  Gildersleeve  and  Rev.  Nicholas  Mur- 
ray. The  meeting  was  held  in  the  school 
house,  near  Mr.  Lines'.  Eighteen  members 
were  received  from  the  Congregational 
Church  in  Wilkes-Barre.  Ruling  elders 
were  chosen — John  Sehleppy,  Anderson 
Dana,  Jr.,  and  Henry  Stayer.  John 
Sehleppy  was  chosen  deacon.  The  new 
officers  were  ordained  to  their  offices.  The 
names  of  the  members  are  as  follows: 

John  Sehleppy,  Anderson  Dana,  Jr., 
Henry  Styer,  Elizabeth  Fairchild.  Margaret 
Fairchild, Mary  Line,  Mary  Luecler,  Christian 
Sehleppy,  Anna  Styer,  John  Sarber,  Solo- 
mon Mill,  Abraham  Arnold,  Sarah  Sehleppy, 
Clara  Sarber,  Elizabeth  Whipple,  Lorinda 
Dilley. 

The  session  of  the  church  of  Hanover  and 
Newport  continued  to  meet  in  tne  school 
house  "near  Mr.  Line's"  or  "near  Mr. 
MiiFs"  until  1632,  when  on  March  19th  tiie 
entry  is  made  "The  Session  met  agreeable  to 
appointment  at  the  Nanticoke  church. 
Rev.  Mr.  Rhodes  presided  as  Moderator." 
At  this  meeting  Miss  Rosana  Fairchild  was 
received  into  the  church  upon  profession  of 
faith. 

In  1834  Rev.  J.  Dorrance  moderated  the 
Session  by  request. 

In  Noy.  1836,  Rev.  Mr.  Cor&e  moderated 
the  meeting  of  Session. 

In  Sept.  1837,  Rev.  Mr.  E.  H  Snowden 
presided. 

May  21,  1843,  the  following  entry  ap- 
pears: "The  Rev.  E.  H.  Snowden  closed  his 
connection  with  this  church  after  supplying 
the  pulpit  one  fourth  of  the  time  for  -even 
years."  From  the  time  of  the  organization 
until  May,  1844.  thirty  persons  united  with 
the  church:  Rosanna  Fairchild.  Catharine 
Vandermark,  Jane  Agatant,  John  Mill,  St. 
John  Koeker,  Elizabeth  Ann  Sehleppy.  Julia 
Ann  Slagle,  James  \tchley,  Mary  Atehlev, 
Fricilla  Fairchild.  Robt.  G.  Robbius,  Jr., 
R.  Robbing,  Sr.,  Margaret  Robbins,  John 
Robbins,  Sarah  Bobbins.  Elizabeth  Rob- 
bins,  Julian  Stettler,  Christiana  Robbins, 
Susanna  Roate,  Lavmia  Espy.  Elizabeth 
Tape,  Elizabeth  Rasely,  Susan  Sehleppy, 
Mary  Vandermark,  Ellen  C.  Stjer,  Martha 
Fairchild. 


Jenkins  Eamily  of  Rhode   Island. 

The  above  is  the  title  of  a  10  page  pamph- 
let by  Hon.  Stenhen  Jenkins,  of  Wyoming, 
reprinted    from  the  Nar rag an  set  Historical 
Register.      The  author  finds  that  the 'Jen- 
kins families  were  among  the  first  to  become 
Friends.     The  first   trace  lie  can   get  of   his 
branch  of  the  family  (searched  out  from  the 
records  of  the  Sandwich  Monthly  ; Meeting 
of  Friends,  the    oldest  organized  society  of 
those  people  in  America)  is  relative  to  one 
John    Jenkins,    of    Sandwich.      The   name 
John  seems  to  have  been  a   favorite   one,  it 
having  been  borne  by   one  generation   after 
another      (with      only       a      single      break) 
down    to    the    author's     grandfather,    who 
was  of  the  sixth    generation   from    John   of 
Sandwich.     The  name  of  John  figures  so  ex- 
tensively in  the  records  as  to  quite   confuse 
the  general  reader.    The  original  John,   in 
1658,  was fiued  or  "distrained"   19  pounds, 
10   shillings  for  attending  Quaker  meeting. 
Ho   had  a  son,   Zachariah,  (born  1651,  died 
1723),  who  had  a  son  John,  (born  1097,  died 
1742),  who  had  a  son  John,  (born  1728,  died 
1784),     who      had      a     son      John,      (born 
1751,     died      1827).        The        latter      was 
Col.      John      Jenkins,       grandfather       of 
Hon.    Steuben  Jenkins.     He  was    a    school 
teacher,  surveyor  and  conveyancer.     He  was 
one  of    the    pioneers    m    settling  Wyoming 
Valley,  and  was  a  leading  man    in  the  con- 
troversies   with  the    Pennamites.     He   was 
guide   to    Sullivan's    army   in  1779  in  the 
expedition    to    the    northern   wilderness  to 
avenge  the   atrocities  of    the  year  before  at 
Wyoming  and  Cherry  Valley.     He  was  born 
at  Gardner's  Lake,  New  London,  Conn., Nov. 
27,  1751,   O.    S.,    and   died  at  Wyoming  in 
1827,   on    the    historic  battle    ground.     He 
married     Bethiah     Harris,     of    Colchester, 
Conn.,   in    Jenkins    Fort,  Wyoming,  only  a 
fortnight        before        the       bloody      mas- 
sacre     of      July      3.      1778.      They      had 
eight    children,     James  (born     1796,   died 
1873)  being  the  author's  father.     He  was   a 
lieutenant  in  the  Revolutionary  army,  resid- 
ed in  Exeter  Township,  Luzerne  County,  Pa., 
where  he  died  in  1827.    James  Jenkins  mar- 
ried in  181o,  Elizabeth,   daughter    of    Capt. 
Samuel  Breeze,    of    Basking    Ridge,    N.    J. 
Hon.  Steuben  Jenkins  is  the  thirdf  of    their 
nine  children,  not  one  of   whom,    however, 
bears  the  traditional   name   of    John.       We 
notice  that  in  1745  one  Stephen  Wilcox  mar- 
ried the  widow   of  one  of    the    Johns,    but 
whether  this  is  the  same  family  as  the   Will- 
iam A.  Wilcox,  who  married   a   daughter    of 
the  author,  we  are  unable  to  say. 

In  1787,  on  May  27th,  Justices  of  the  Court 
of  Common  Fleas  commissioned  and  sworn 
in. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Fortunes  Awaiting  Claimants. 

Dr.  W.  H.  Egle,  author  of  "Pennsylvania 
Genealogies,"  gives  the  following  good 
advi>o  in  his  Notes  and  Queries  department 
of  the  Harrisbnrg  Telegraph,  advice,  too, 
which  may  benefit  some  in  Wilkes-Barre, 
the  same  "list"  referred  to  by  Dr.  Egle 
having  recently  been  advertised  in  a  local 
paper: 

A  correspondent  writes  us  to  this  effect: 
"I  see  in  the  Free  Press  of  Detroit  a  list  of 
names  of  persons  entitled  to  money  and 
property  in  England.  France,  Germany  and 
other  countries,  among  them  being  those  of 
Dixon,  Cochran,  Murray,  Henry  and  Robin- 
son. My  ancestors  on  my  father's  side  came 
from  Eusland,  on  my  mother's  side  from 
Scotland  and  Ireland.  As  you  know  so  much 
about  my  ancestors  I  thought  I  would  ask 
you  if  it  would  be  any  use  to  send  our 
names  as  claimants.  The  advertisement 
says  that  8480,000,000  lie  buried  in  the 
courts  of  chancery,  Bank  of  England,  etc., 
awaiting  claimants.  The  date  of  the  news- 
paper is  Oct.  9, 1886.  1  know  that  my  grand 
mother  often  told  us  there  were  money 
and  property  for  us  if  we  got  our  rights. 
Please  let  me  know  what  you  think  of  this 
advertisement.  It  also  says,  send  to  the 
British  American  Claim  Agency,  Stewart 
Building,  New  York  City,  for  their  book 
register."  This  is  only  a  specimen  of  letters 
very  frequently  received  by  us.  We  can 
only  reiterate  what  we  have  heretofore  said 
upon  this  subject.  The  whole  thing  is  a 
deception  of  the  basest  kind,  and  the  vil- 
lains who  are  interested  in  this  scheme  to 
defraud  the  unwary  deserve  the  penitentiary. 
There  is  no  money  awaiting  unknown 
claimants  and  these  thieving  rascals  who 
send  out  such  advertisements  know  it. 


Mr.  Loop's  Coon  Sausage  Dinner. 
"We  had  a  conversation  with  Mr.  Edward 
S.  Loop,  who  has  just  returned  from  an  ex- 
tensive visit  west  throng!;  Western  New 
York,  Canada,  Michigan,  Indiana,  Illinois 
aud  Wisconsin.  Returning  he  stopped  off  at 
Detroit,  at  the  Griffin  House,  where  he  found 
the  most  clean  and  comfortable  compart- 
ments he  met  with  during  his  entire  journey 
AVest,  in  a  public  house.  From  thence  he 
left  for  Pontiac,  Mich.,  to  see  his  old  colored 
friend  "Black  B^n  Teimant,"  as  he  was  well 
known  on  the  Ross  farms  over  fifty  years 
ago.  Mr.  Loop  took  a  good  dinner  with  him 
and  family,  of  stewed  chicken  and  coon 
sausage,  celery,  cranberries  sweet  and  white 
potatoes,  two  kinds  of  pickles  and  pies,  cake, 
etc.,  etc.,  enjoying  all.  Jack  Frost  is  yetting 
into  Tom's  hair  for  he  is  nearly  64  years  old. 
He  cultivates  a  patch  of  ground  a  mile  or  so 
out  of  Pontiac  and  is  happy  with  his  wife 
and  large  family.  His  wife  is  a  sister  of 
Mrs.  Susan  Anderson,    of    this    city.     His 


elder  son,  Thomas  Miner,  named  for  the 
elder  Dr.  Miner,  is  a  carver  at  the  Hodtre 
Hou^e  and  his  daughter  Lavina  is  the  cook. 
Another  sou,  Tom,  is  a  horse  jockey  when  on 
land  and.  a<  other  times  is  head  porter  on  one 
of  the  lake  steamers.  The  family  are  all 
strict  Methodists  and  Mr.  Loop  joined  heart- 
ily in  an  "amen"  after  thanks  were  said  for 
the  coon  sausage  and  other  delicacies.  Ben 
has  many  pleasant  recollections  of  life  in 
W  illves-Barre  and  these  will  now  be  aug- 
mented by  i  he  Weekly  Recobd  which  here- 
after is  to  go  to  him  regularly.  The  carriage 
was  to  call  for  his  return  at  4  pro.  sharp.  As 
it  did  not  Ben  said  "nevermind  'Sterl,'  there 
will  be  another  train  later."  "No,  that  will 
not  do,  I  must  be  in  Detroit  to  take  7:15 
sharp."  He  made  the  train— the  following 
passenger  train  was  wrecked  at  Royal  Oak, 
about  8  miles  north  of  Detroit,  and  a  num- 
ber killed  and  injured.  One  of  the  most 
striking  traits  in  Mr.  Loop's  character  is  his 
promptness  and  this  determination  to  catch 
the  7:15  train  probably  saved  his  life. 


One  of  the  little  deceptions  which  pleased 
our  forefathers  was  a  piece  of  furniture, 
looking  like  a  book,  but  which  on  examina- 
tion proved  to  be  entirely  of  wood,  the 
covers,  raised  bands,  edges,  etc.,  being  very 
fairly  simulated.  This  instrument — for  such 
it  was  in  reality — was  nothing  more  or  less 
than  a  pitehpipe  for  use  in  a  church  in  order 
that  the  precentor  might  not  start  too  high 
or  too  low  when  the  psalm  was  given  out. 
A  New  York  man  is  the  happy  possessor  of 
one.  It  measures  three  and  a  half  by  five 
and  a  half  inches  and  was  used  in  the  first 
church  in  the  town  of  Sterling,  Mass.,  prior 
to  the  Revolution.  At  the  junction  of  the 
upper  edge  with  the  front  edge  there  is  just 
such  an  aperture  as  is  found  in  an  ordinary 
whistle.  The  lower  edge  pulls  out,  being 
fastened  to  a  slide,  upon  which  the  tones 
and  half  tones  of  the  scale  are  marked  by 
letters  and  lines.  At  the  end  of  the  slide  is 
fastened  packing  of  cork,  which  makes  it  fit 
accurately.  Upon  adjusting  this  slide  at  the 
desired  pitch,  and  bloving  through  the 
aperture,  a  loud,  clear  tone  is  given  forth. 
From  the  bottom  of  the  movable  edge  hangs 
a  piece  of  tape,  which  seems  to  serve  as  a 
book-mark  and  hightens  the  deception. 


The  Doylestown  Democrat,  Nov.  16,  says 
that  M.  W.  Oliver,  of  Crawford  County  has 
donated  to  the  Bucks  County  Historical 
Society  a  tine  specimen  of  the  iron  axes 
which  are  frequently  plowed  up  in  the  fields 
of  Crawford  County.  The  axe  was  shaped 
something  like  a  hatchet,  with  a  large  eye, 
and  was  about  seven  inches  long  with  about 
a  four  inch  blade.  The  axes  are  supposed 
to  have  been  made  in  Canada  and  used  by 
the  Indians  in  the  French  aud  Indian  war. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD 


53 


THE  SUCCESSFUL    CANDIDATES. 

Sketches  of  the  Men  who  vc&re  Elected  f<> 

Oilicc  on  November  1. 
GOVEBNOB,  (BEP.') 

Gen.  James  A.  Beaver,  who  has  so  hand- 
somely just  been  shown  the  confidence  of 
Pennsylvania,  is  not  yet  quite  50  years  old, 
having  been  born  in  1837  tit  Miller-town, 
Perry  Co.  His  father  died  soon  after  James' 
birth  and  the  boy  was  his  mother's  pride,  a 
devoted  sou,  a  good  scholar  at  the  village 
school  and  a  great  favorite  on  the  play- 
ground. In  1854,  then  in  his  17th  year, 
Beaver  entered  Jefferson  College,  at  Canons- 
burg,  Washington  Co.  In  1856  he  was 
graduated,  standing  high  in  the  class. 

When  but  19  years  of  age  Beaver  became 
a  student  at  law  in  the  office  of  Hon.  H.  N. 
McAllister,  at  Bellefonte,  and  entered  the 
bar  two  years  later.  During  his  course  of 
study  Beaver  had  joined  Captain  Andrew  G. 
Curtin's  company,  "Bellefonte  Fencibles," 
and  took  great  delight'  in  the  organization 
and  drill. 

President  Lincoln's  call  for  75,000  men, 
at  the  outbreak  of  the  rebellion,  received  an 
immediate  answer  from  the  Fencibles,  who 
elected  officers,  Beaver  being  chosen  first 
lieutenant,  and  proceeded  at  once  to  Harris- 
burg.  After  the  expiration  of  its  three 
months'  time,  however,  it  was  mustered  out. 
Beaver  then  entered,  heart  and  soul,  into 
the  effort  to  raise  a  regiment,  the  45th  Penn- 
sylvania Volunteers,  and  was  made  its 
lieutenant  colonel.  In  October,  1861,  the 
regiment  proceeded  to  South  Carolina. 

The  stress  of  war  necessitated  Lincoln's 
further  call  for  600,000  volunteers.  Penn- 
sylvania responded  nobly,  and  Governor 
Curtin  appointed  Col.  Beaver  to  the  colonel- 
cy of  a  regiment  which  went  directly  to 
meet  Lee  in  Maryland.  The  new  regiment 
first  experienced  the  sight  of  battle  at  An- 
tietam.  In  this  bloody  engagement  Col. 
Beaver's  younger  brother,  a  gallant  lieu- 
tenant, fell  in  leading  a  brave  charge  when 
at  the  very  works  of  the  enemy. 

In  the  disastrous  battle  of  Chancellors- 
ville,  where  Hooker  was  temporarily  incapa- 
citated, and  where  Stonewall  Jackson  met 
his  death,  Beaver  was  severely  wounded  and 
-taken  home  as  soon  as   he  could   be  moved. 

While  the  brave  colonel  was  recovering 
slowly  Lee  arrived  on  the  soil  of  Pennsyl- 
vania and  Beaver  refused  the  advice  of  the 
surgeons  and  hurried  aarain  to  the  field.  In 
several  battles  that  followed  Col.  Beaver 
received  distinguished  mention  and  was 
given  charge  oi  a  brigade.  He  took  a  gal- 
lant part  in  many  engagements,  being 
wounded  again  at  Petersburg  and  carried 
from  the  held.  While  at  the  hospital  Gen. 
Beaver  became  too  restless  for  the  surgeons, 
and  on  the    eve    of    a   decisive  battle,  rode 


upon  the  field  in  an  ambulance.  In  the  en- 
gagement which  followed  he  was  again 
wounded  severely,  losing  his  leg.  This 
closed  Beaver's  active  record  on  the  Held,  a 
record  bustling  with  gallantry  and  bullet 
stains. 

On  his  return  home  Gen.  Beaver  resumed 
the  practice  of  law.  In  1882,  as  all  remem- 
ber, he  became  the  Republican  candidate 
for  Governor,  and  was  defeated  by  the 
broken  ranks  of  the  party.  With  almost  the 
unanimous  consent  he  again  became  the 
standard  bearer  last  summer  and  after  one 
of  the  most  stirring  and  cleanest  campaigns 
in  the  State's  history  is  elected  by  a  rousing 
plurality  of  45,000  votes. 

LIEUTENANT-  GO VEBNOB,  (BEP.  ) 

The  face  of  Hon.  Wm,  T.  Da  vies,  Lieuten- 
ant-Governor-elect  of  the  Commonwealth, 

has  become  familiar  to  Wilkes- Barreans 
during  the  compaign  just  closed.  He  has  a 
characteristic  American  career:  born  in 
1831,  in  Wales,  he  was  brought  to  this  State 
when  two  years  of  age.  hi^  father  becoming 
a  farmer  in  Warren,  Bradford  County. 
Living  in  the  open  air.  used  to  hard  work, 
Davies  eveloped  into  a  large  and  muscular 
lad  fit  for  any  amount  of  solid  labor.  In 
the  odd  hours  of  his  time  Davies  read  with 
avidity  all  the  books  that  he  could  lay  his 
hands  on  and  his  mind  grew  with  his  body. 
He  entered  the  public  school  late  and  be- 
came a  leader  In  his  class. 

Davies'  good  work  at  the  local  school 
gave  such  promise  that  lie  was  sent  to  Owego 
Academy  in  New  York,  then  famous,  and  he 
was  graduated  valedictorian  with  all  honors. 
After  graduating  Davies  betook  himself  to 
the  pedagogue's  profession,  and  in  1856,  25 
years  of  age,  he  was  appointed  superinten- 
dent of  schools  in  Towanda  and  continued 
there  for  four  years,  meantime  studying  law 
under  Judge  Elweli.  In  1801  he  was  entered 
at  the  bar,  and  late  in  the  same  year  he 
married  Miss  Watkins.  daughter  of  a  pro- 
minent lawyer  of  Towanda. 

Davies  in  186*2  gave  up  his  budding  prac- 
tice of  law  and  enlisted  in  Co.  B.  14th  Keg. 
P.  V.,  and  in  Oct.  1802.  became  its  captain. 
A  month  later,  before  Fredericksburg,  Capt. 
Davies  was  taken  with  typhoid  fever  and 
was  compelled  to  return  to  his  home.  Re- 
covering too  slowly  for  his  impatient  desire 
to  be  at  the  front.  Davies  hurried  back, 
against  the  will  of  Ids  physicians,  and  as  a 
result  he  suffered  as  severe  a  relapse  that  his 
life  at  one  time  was  despaired  of.  In  May, 
1883,  he  was  honorably  discharged  from  ser- 
vice. 

In  1865  Davies  was  elected  district  attor- 
ney of  Bradford  Co.  In  1876  ho  was  elected 
to  the  State  Senate,  where  he  has  been  a 
prominent  figure,  respected  for  his  manli- 
ness, integrity  and  sound  judgment.  No  mau 
is  better  tit  to  preside  over  the  deliberations 


54 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


of  the  body  in  which  Lieut. -Gov.  Da  vies  is 
po  well  known.  He  i^  a  brother  of  Dr.  R. 
Davies  of  this  city  and  an  uncle  of  Dr.  Da- 
vies  of  Nanticoke. 

AUDITOB   GENERAL,  (REP.) 

Col.  A.  Wilson  Norris,  Pennsylvania's  new 

auditor  general,  is  still  a  young  man,  having 
been  born  in  Lewistown  44  years  ago.  En- 
tering upon  active  service,  at  the  outbreak 
of  the  war,  a  lieutenant,  in  the  I07th  P.  V., 
he  served  gallantly  until  1863,  when  he  was 
captured  at  the  battle  of  Gettysburg,  being 
held  20  months  in  captivity,  in  July,  1865, 
he  was  honorably  discharged  from  active 
service,  having  risen  to  a  captaincy.  Capt. 
Norris  studied  law  at  the  University  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  in  180?  he  entered  the  bar  of 
Philadelphia,  where  he  took  up  his  residence. 
In  1872  he  became  Gov.  Hartrauft's  private 
secretary;  in  the  same  year  he  was  the  first 
recorder  of  the  Board  of  Pardons;  and  in 
1873  was  appointed  inspector  general  of  the 
G.  A.  K.,  being  elected,  in  the  same  year,  as 
commander  of  the  Department  of  Pennsylva- 
nia. During  the  six  years  following,  Capt. 
Norris  acted  as  secretary  of  the  Republican 
State  Committee,  Capt.  Norris  served  in 
other  official  positions,  and  1881  was  elected 
to  the  State  Senate.  On  the  staff  of  Gov. 
Hartranft  Capt.  Norris  was  appointed  col- 
onel and  aide-de-camp,  and  served  as  judge 
advocate  general  on  Gov.  Hoyt's  staff.  Presi- 
dent Arthur  appointed  Col.  Norris  pension 
agent  at  Philadelphia,  and  he  was  removed 
by  Presideut  Cleveland. 

SECRETARY    OF   INTERNAL   AFFAIRS. 

Thomas  J.  Stewart  was  born  in  1848  near 
Belfast,  Ireland,  and  is  the  youngest  man  of 
the  new  officials  of  the  State.  When  less 
than  a  year  old  he  was  brought  to  Norris- 
town  by  his  parents,  and  there  he  has  lived 
ever  since.  In  1864,  Stewart,  though  but 
16  years  old,  entered  the  army,  where  he 
served  until  the  war  concluded.  On  the  close 
of  his  army  life  Stewart  entered  upon  com- 
mercial business,  manufacturing  window 
glass.  Since  1882  Mr.  Stewart  has  been 
Assistant  Adjutant  General  of  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Department  of  the  G.  A.  R.,  and 
during  1884  and  ]!?85  he  acted  in  the  same 
position  over  the  national  organization.  For 
the  last  nine  years  he  has  been  Adjutant  of 
the  6th  Regiment  Infantry. 

Daring  the  last  two  years  Mr.  Stewart  has 
been  a  member  of  the  Assembly  and  is  rec- 
ognized as  an  able  legislator. 

GEN.  EDWIN  S.  OSBORNE,  (  REP.  ) 

General  Osborne,  who  was  re-elected  Con- 
gressman-at-large,  was  born  in  Bethany, 
Pa.,  August  7th,  1836,  and  was  educated  at 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  at 
the  New  Yorkj  State  and  National  Law 
School,  graduating  in  1860  with  the  degree 
of  LL.  B.     Shortly  afterwards,  on  the  break- 


ing out  of  the  Rebellion,  he  was  one  of  the 
first  to  volunteer,  enlisting  as  a  privote  in 
the  Eighth  Pennsylvania  Infantry,  and  de- 
spite his  extreme  youth  and  lack  of  previous 
military  education  he  rapidly  ro-e  to  a  place 
of  distinction.  Aftar  serving  with  his  regi- 
ment in  General  Patterson's  command,  he 
received  a  commission  from  Governor 
Curtin  to  recruit  a  company,  and  perform- 
ing this  duty  joined  the  One  Hundred  and 
Forty-ninth  as  captain.  The  regiment  form- 
ed part  of  the  First  Corps  of  the  Army  of  the 
Potomac  and  participated  in  all  the  engage- 
ments of  the  corps  till  after  the  Getty-burg 
battle  when  it  was  consolidated  into  the 
Fifth  Corps  In  the  meautime  Captain  Os- 
borne had  become  Major  of  his  regiment 
and  Assistant  Inspector-General  of  the  Third 
Division.  During  tho  war  he  was  three 
times  wounded  and  was  successively  brevet 
ed  Lieutenant-Colonel,  Colonel  and  Brig- 
adier-General for  gallaut  and  meritorious 
conduct  in  the  face  of  the  enemy. 

Upon  the  close  of  the  war. General  Osborne 
was  appointed  Judge  Advocate  under  Gen- 
eral Holt,  and  sent  to  Macon  and  Anderson- 
ville  to  investigate  the  charges  of  cruelty  to 
Federal  prisoners  of  war  by  the  Confederate 
Superintendent  of  Prisons.  Captain  Wirz. 
Upon  a  lull  investigation  General  Osborne 
preferred  charges  of  murder  against  Wirz, 
who  was  tried  by  courtmartial  at  Washing- 
ton, convicted  and  hanged.  General  Osborne 
was  then  sent  to  his  own  State  to  investi- 
gate charges  of  treason  against  various  citi- 
zens confined  in  military  prisons.  Ke  then 
resigned  his  commission,  returned  to  his 
home  in  this  city  and  engaged  in  the  practice 
of  his  profession. 

On  the  reorganization  of  the  National 
Guards,  the  governor  appointed  Gen.  Os- 
borne the  Major-General  of  them,  and  he 
held  the  position  from  1871  to  1876.  Get. 
Osborne  enjoys  a  lucrative  law  practice. 
He  has  had  but  little  to  do  with  politics, 
never  having  held  a  civil  office  until  he  was 
returned  to  Congress  during  the  last  general 
election.  He  is  prominent  in  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  having  been  Depart- 
ment Commander  in  1883.  His  popularity 
is  attested  in  the  State  by  the  fact  that  he 
received  2,536  more  votes  than  were  polled 
for  Blaine  and  Logan  in  the  Presidential 
contest  of  1884. 

CONGRESS,  (DEM.) 

John  Lynch,  Esq.,  of  the  Luzerne  Bar.  is  a 
native  of  Rhode  Island,  having  been  born  at 
Providence  in  1843.  His  father,  a  native  of 
County  Cavan,  Ireland,  emigrated  to  this 
country  in  1830,  residing  in  WilkesBarre 
from  1864  until  his  death  in  1878,  at  the  age 
of  75,  John  Lynch  was  educated  at  Wyom- 
ing Seminary,  going  to  school  in  the  winter 
and  working  as  a  farm  hand  in  the  summer. 
Mr.  Lynch  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in    1865, 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


after  having  studied  with  VV.  G.  Harding, 
Esq.  The  following  year  he  was  elected 
register  of  wills,  over  Capt.  H.  M.  Gordon 
(Hep-)     Mr.  Lynch  served  as  council  man- at- 

largo  from  1871  to  1874, and  as  city  attorney 
daring  1873  and  1874.  He  was  defeated  in 
1879  by  Hon.  C.  E.  Rice  for  the 
president  judgeship  of  Luzerne  County, 
Mr.         Lynch         being  the  candi- 

date of  the  Greenback-labor  party.  Mr. 
Lynch  was  married  in  1877  to  Mary  C,  a 
sister  of  John  T.  Lenahan,  Esq..  and  District 
Attorney  James  L.  Lenahan.  Mr.  Lynch  has 
been  a  diligent  and  conscientious  practi- 
tioner and  therefore  richly  merits  the  success 
which  he  has  achieved  in  his  profession.  The 
nomination  for  Congress  came  to  him  un- 
solicited, having  previously  been  declined  by 
Judge  Woodward  and  J.  H.  Swoyer.  With 
Gen.  Osborne  as  Congressman-at-Large,  and 
John  Lynch  as  Congressman,  Luzerne 
County,  will  not  be  likely  to  be  neglected  in 
the  distribution  of  Federal  favors. 

REPRESENTATIVE,   (DEM.) 

J.  Ridgway  Wright,  elected  to  represent 
cue  First  district,  (City  of  Wilkes -Barre),  in 
tha  Legislature  is  30  years  of  age  and  is  well 
and  favorably  known  in  this  community,  of 
which  he  is  a  native.  He  is  a  son  of  the  late 
Harrison  Wright,  one  of  the  most  able  prac- 
titioners at  the  Luzerne  Bar,  and  a  nephew 
of  the  late  lion.  Hendrick  B.  W right,  who, 
after  a  distinguished  career  in  politics  and 
law,  died  in  1871.  Mr.  Wright's  parental 
ancestors  came  from  Engla  d  in  1081  with 
William  Penn's  colony  of  Quaker  immi- 
grants, and  founded  the  village 
of  Wrightsville,  Burlington  County 
N.  J.  The  first  of  the  name,  John 
Wright,  held  a  commission  of  Justice  of  the 
Peace  and  captain  of  militia  under  the  seal 
royal  of  Kins:  Charles  II.  Caleb  Wright,  a 
grandson  of  John,  removed  to  the  Susque- 
hanna country  in  1795  and  settled  near 
what  is  now  Shiekshinny,  but  returned  to 
New  Jersey  in  1811,  leaving  here  a  son. 
Joseph,  grandfather  of  the  deceased.  Joseph 
Wright  was  for  many  years  a  prominent  and 
influential  citizen  of  Plymouth,  or,  as  that 
portion  of  ths  valley  was  formerly  called, 
Shawnee.  The  Wrights  were  formerly 
Quakers,  or  Friends,  and  Joseph  Wright  al- 
ways adhered  to  their  faith  and  stern  integ- 
rity, notwithstanding  he  had  been  dropped 
from  the  society  for  marrying  outside  the 
Quaker  faith.  He  married  Ellt-n,  daughter  of 
John  Hendrick,  and  had  three  sons  born  of 
the  union;  the  late  Hon.  Hendrick  B. 
Wright  being  the  oldest,  with  Caleb  E.  and 
Harrison  as  younger  brothers,  consti- 
tuting a  very  distinguished  trio  of  lawyers, 
Harrison  being  one  of  the  most  bril- 
liant and  eloquent  abvncatcs  th^t  ever  prac- 
ticed at  the  Luzerne  county  bar.  He  was 
honored  by  his  fellow  citizens  with  a  seat  in 


the  House  of  Representatives  at  Harrisbnrg, 

where  he  served  with  distinguished  honor. 
He  died  in  L856  while  yet  in  the  prime  and 
vigor  of  his  manhood,  having  just  turned 
his  forty-first  year.  Mrs.  Wright,  the  mother, 
was  before  marriage,  Emily,  daughter  of 
Jacob  Cist,  her  mother  being  Sarah,  daugh- 
ter of  Judge;  Matthias  Hollenback,  an  ensign, 
and  one  of  the  survivors  of  the  bloody  mas- 
sacre that  took  place  in  front  of  Fort  Win- 
termcite  on  July  3,  1778.  There  was  thus 
the  blood  of  the  English  Quaker  com- 
mingling with  that  of  his  persevering  Ger- 
man forefathers  (the  Hollenback s  having 
come  of  German  stock)  in  the  veins  of  one 
who  at  a  very  early  period  of  life  manifested 
his  love  of  learning  in  a  marked  degree. 

J.  Ridgway  Wright  is  a  graduate  of  Prince- 
ton College,  class  of  1879.  After  graduat- 
ing he  took  the  Western  fever,  in  common 
with  many  others  of  our  townsmen,  and 
went  to  Leadville  in  company  with  Sylva- 
nus  Ayres,  Jr.,  and  Samuel  Newhouse,  both 
of  this  city,  he  established  himself  in  the 
coal  business,  to  which  he  associated  that  of 
prospecting.  Mr.  Wright  remained  in  Lead- 
ville two  years  and  then  went  to  New  Orleans, 
where  he  was  engaged  in  selling  mines.  He 
subsequently  returned  to  Leadville,  remain- 
ing there  ayear,when  he  accepted  the  position 
of  secretary  of  the  Wheel  of  Fortune  Mine 
and  established  himself  in  New  York  City, 
He  afterwards  resigned  his  secretaryship 
and  came  back  to  bis  home  in  this  city, 
where  he  has  resided  ever  since.  On  the 
death  of  his  lamented  brother,  rlarrison,  he 
was  elected  to  till  his  place  as  secretary  of 
the  Wyoming  Historical  Society.  He  has 
taken  a  foremost  part  in  local  dramatic  and 
musical  circles,  in  the  military  (  he  is  ad- 
jutant of  the  Ninth  Regiment,  N.  G.  P.  )  and 
has  identified  himself  with  many  other 
movements  calculated  to  advance  the  public 
welfare.  He  is  deservedly  popular  and  has 
hosts  of  friends. 

SHERIFF,   (D£M.) 

Hendrick  Wright  Search  is  one  of  the 
rising — indeed,  risen — men  of  the  young 
Democracy.  He  was  born  in  Shiekshinny 
in  18~j4  and  is  a  son  of  George  W.  Search, 
one  of  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  the 
lower  end. 

He  was  educated  at  the  public  schools,  and 
after  graduating  therefrom  he  entered  the 
store  of  George  VV.  >V  Lot  Search,  .vhere  he 
was  continuously  employed  until  the  year 
1882,  when  he  was  appointed  clerk  to  the 
county  commissioners.  He  served  three 
years  in  this  position  and  in  18^5  became 
deputy  clerk  of  the  Orphans'  Court,  which 
place  he  has  since  filied  acceptably  to  the 
court  and  the  public.  A  year  ago  he  mar- 
ried Miss  Church,  a  charming  youne  lady 
J i v i n tr  m  Ash: and,  his  Stite.  and  who  hns 
since  become  a  valued  access  on  to  Wilkes- 


50 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Barre's  social  circles.  Nominated  by  accla- 
mation, without  opposition,  and  receiving 
the  united  support  of  Ins  party,  he  is  proba- 
bly the  mo4  popular  man  who  ever  trained 
with  the  Luzerne  Democracy. 

RECOfiDEB,  (DEM.) 

Joseph  J.  McGinty,  of  Ebervale,  was  born 
in  Durham,  England,  of  Irish  parentage,  in 
the  year  1850.  He  came  to  America  23 
years  ago  and  has  always  lived  about  Eber- 
vale. He  has  worked  in  the  mines  from  boy- 
hood up  and  his  father  was  killed  in  them 
fifteen  years  ago,  which  catastrophe  made 
Joseph  the  head  and  protector  of  the  family. 
His  loving  care  for  his  six  younger  brothers 
secured  a  fair  education  for  them  all,  and 
for  one  a  college  training  from  which  he  has 
graduated  to  the  Catholic  priesthood. 

Mr.  McGinty  has  been  identified  \sith  the 
several  miners7  associations  that  have  from 
time  to  time  existed  in  this  region  and  has 
occupied  practically  every  position  of  trust 
conferred  by  them.  He  was  a  delegate  to 
the  State  Labor  Convention  in  1875  and  to 
the  labor  convention  at  Cleveland  last  sum- 
mer. 

He  has  always  been  a  consistent  and  hard 
working  Democrat.  He  has  held  and  ac- 
ceptably filled  local  offices,  but  this  is  the 
first  time  he  was  ever  a  candidate  for  a 
county  office. 

COBONEB,   (DEM.) 

Dr.  John  B.  Mahon.  one  of  Pittston's 
most  reputable  practitioners  of  the  heal- 
ing art,  was  born  May  17,  1850,  at  Lake 
Winola,  Wyoming  County.  The  first  four- 
teen years  of  his  life  were  spent  upon  a 
farm.  At  the  age  of  14  he  was-  apprenticed 
by  voluntary  indenture  to  the  carpenter's 
trade.  In  this  avocation  he  continued  for 
four  years,  when  at  the  age  of  18  he  passed 
an  examination  as  a  teacher.  He  had  pre- 
pared himself  by  night  study.  He  taught 
three  winter  terms  of  school  in  Wyoming 
County,  the  summers  being  spent  in  work- 
ing at  his  trade.  At  21  he  applied  and  re- 
ceived the  appointment  of  principal 
of  one  of  the  Plains  graded  schools, 
holding  the  position  for  several  consecutive 
years,  preparing  himself  at  the  same  time 
for  Jefferson  Medical  College,  which,  resign- 
ing his  teachership,  he  entered  in  1879, 
graduating  in  1882.  He  has  since  devoted 
himself  exclusively  to  his  medical  duties  in 
Pittston,  where  he  has  achieved  an  extensive 
practice.  At  the  municipal  election  last 
spring  he  was  reelected  a  member  of  the 
School  Board  by  a  large  majority,  although 
the  district  in  which  he  resides  is  strongly 
Republican.  Dr.  Mahon  is  a  prominent 
member  of  the  Luzerne  County  Medical  So- 
ciety, and  probably  nearly  every  Republican 
vote  of  that  organization  was  cast   for   him. 


8UEVEY0B,  (DEM.) 

James  Crockett  i.^  a  farmer,  surveyor  and 
justice  of  the  pence  in  Ross,  and  one  of  the 
best  known  men  in  the  Second  District. 
Everybody  speaks  of  him  as  Squire  Crockett 
and  his  court  has  been  the  scene  of  manj  ex- 
citing trials  as  most  of  tha  Quarter  Sessions 
courts  in  the  country.  He  is  thoroughly 
honest  and  upright  and  well  liked. 

In  1824  the  first  river  boat  propelled  by 
horse-power,  arrived  in  VVilkes-Barre  from 
Nescopeck.    It  was  a  wonder. 


KECK NT DE VTHS 


DR.    A.    A.    HODGE. 

The  sad  news  of  the  death  of  Rev.  Dr.  A. 
A.  Hodge,  of  Princeton  Theological  Semi- 
nary, was  received  Nov.  12.  Dr.  Hodge 
preached  a  stirring  sermon  Sunday,  Nov. 7  to 
the  students  at  Princeton,  feeling  in  the  most 
vigorous  health.  The  day  was  cold  and  wet, 
however,  and  Dr.  Hodge  caught  a  severe 
cold,  which,  settling  on  his  kidneys,  ended 
in  his  death  on  Thursday,  Nov.  11.  The  three 
brothers  of  Dr.  Hodge  were  present  at  his 
bedside,  as  the  serious  nature  of  his  malady 
was  known  for  several  days  previous  to  his 
death. 

Dr.  Archibald  Alexander  Hodge,  A.  M., 
D.  D.,  LL.  D.,  was  born  at  Princeton,  N.  J., 
July  18,  1823,  and  was  therefore  midway  be- 
tween 63  and  64  years  of  age.  He  was 
graduated  from  the  College  of  New  Jersey 
in  the  class  of  1841.  After  studying  theology 
at  the  seminary  he  was  ordained  by  the 
Presbytery  of  New  Brunswick,  N.  J.,  in  May, 
1847,  and  in  the  fall  of  that  year  lie  married 
and  went  to  Allahabad,  India,  as  a  mission- 
ary under  the  control  of  the  Presbyterian 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  Dr.  Hodge  re- 
mained at  this  post  for  three  years,  the  fail- 
ure of  his  health  demanding  his  return  in 
1850.  In  that  year  he  became  pastor  of  a 
church  at  lower  West  Nottingham,  Md.,  re- 
maining in  that  charge  for  the  ensuing  five 
years.  At  the  outbreak  of  Ihe  war  Dr.  Hodge 
was  pastor  of  the  First  Presbyterian  Church 
at  Petersburg,  Va.,  his  pastoral  relations 
with  the  congregation  of  that  church  being 
severed  on  the  very  day  that  marks  the  death 
of  Rev.  Dr.  John  Dorrance,  then  pastor  of 
the  First  Presbyterian  Church  of  this  city. 

A  few  months  after  Dr.  Dorrance's  death 
Dr.  Hodge  accepted  a  call  to  the  church 
over  which  his  brother.  Dr.  F.  B.  Hodge,  is 
now  pastor.  In  1864.  having  bpen  pastor  in 
Wiikes-Barre  for  three  years.  Dr.  Hodge  was 
elected  professor  of  Didactic  and  Polemic 
Theology  in  the  Presbyterian  Seminary  at 
Allegheny  City,  where  he  remained  until 
1877.     While    holding    this    position  Prof. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


r,7 


Hodge  was  for  some  years  "stated  supply" 
and  installed  pastor,  severally,  of  the  First 
Church  of  Pittsburg,  and  of  the  North 
Church  of  Allegheny  City. 

In  187?  Frof.  Hodge  was  called  by  Prince- 
ton Theological  Seminary  as  Associate  Pro- 
fessor of  Theology,  the  full  professorship 
being  held  by  his  father,  the  late  Rev.  Dr. 
Charles  Hedge.  In  1878  Dr.  Charles  Hodge 
died,  and  his  mantle  fell  upon  his  son,  who 
has  held  the  position  of  Didactic  and 
Polemic  Professor  of  Theology  since  that 
tune.  Dr.  Hodge  has  twice  been  married, 
and  leaves  a  wife  and  two  daughters.  The 
funeral  services  will  be  held  on  Monday 
afternoon  at  Princeton. 

The  death  of  Dr.  Hodge  does  not  break 
the  connection  which  has  identified  the 
name  of  Hodge  with  Princeton  Seminary, 
Dr.  Charles  Hodge's  eldest  son,  Casper  Wis- 
ter  Hedge,  being  professor  of  New  Testa- 
ment Literature  and  Biblical  Greek  at  that 
institution.  This  position  he  has  held  since 
1800,  and  he  is  recognized  among  scholars 
as  perhaps  the  superior  of  his  brother  in 
theological  scholarship.  The  connection 
which  is  thus  kept  up  with  Princeton  has 
subsisted  since  the  matriculation  of  Dr. 
Charles  Hodge  in  1811. 

Dr.  F.  B.  Hodge  has  the  tender  sympathy 
of  the  many  friends  of  his  lamented  brother 
in  this  city,  the  elder  pastor  being  a  great 
favorite,  for  his  kindly,  genial  nature  as 
well  as  for  his  deep  learning. 

L.    D.    STUBDEVANT. 

Leverius  Dunning  Sturdevant.  one  of  the 
oldest  and  best  known  men  of  "Wyoming 
County,  died  Friday,  Nov.  12  at  his  home 
in  Mehoopany.  He  came  of  one  of  the 
old  Connecticut  families  whose  names  are  so 
well  known  along  the  Susquehanna.  He 
was  born  in  1804  at  Braintrim,  "Wyoming 
County,  where  he  passed  the  greater  portion 
of  his  life,  and  to  the  development  and 
prosperity  of  which  he  materially  contribu- 
ted. He  was  a  kind  husband  and  father, 
and  a  valued  member  of  the  community  in 
which  he  lived,  and  particularly  noted  for 
the  virtues  of  hospitality  and  neighborly 
kindness.  Belonging  to  a  past  generation, 
with  few  living  contemporaries,  he  yet,  by 
his  native  force  of  character,  maintained  a 
leading  position  to  the  last,  and  leaves  be- 
hind him  the  example  of  a  uniformly  upright 
life.  His  wife  preceded  him  to  the  grave 
July  21  of  last  year,  in  her  70th  year,  the 
husband  being  her  senior  by  five  years.  He 
was  a  brother  of  .the  late  Major  John  Stur- 
devant and  Gen.  E.  W.  Sturdevant,  of  this 
city,  and  his  surviving  children  are  Col. 
S.nnnl  H  .  Sinfon.  E.  W.,  L.  !>..  and  Dun- 
ning Sturdevant  -*nd  Mrs.  W.  F.  Goff,  of 
Wilkes- Barre;  Mrs.  F.  B.  Ames,  Mrs.  Jerome 
Swart  wood,  of  Mehoopany,  and  Mrs.  James 
M.     Robinson,    of     Skinner's    Eddy.       His 


wife's  death,  as  noted  in  the  Rkcord  at  tho 
time,  was  the  first  to  break  a  very  largo 
family  circle.  All  her  eight  children  are 
married  ami  have  families  of  their  own,  yet 
of  all  this  largo  number  of  kindred,  exposed 
to  tho  countless  perils  which  threaten  ex- 
istence, and  covering  nearly  a  century  in 
time,  this  godly  mother  in  Israel  was  the 
first  to  be  called  hence. 

nrsnop  bowman's  mother. 

James  Bowman,  of  the  firm  "Wells,  Bow- 
man &  Co..  was  recently  called  upon  to 
mourn  tho  loss  of  his  mother,  whose  death 
occurred  on  tho  1st  inst.,  at  the  home  of  her 
son.  Bishop  Thomas  Bowman,  in  Alleutown. 
The  following  interesting  sketch  is  from  the 
Item  of  that  city: 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Bowman,  widow  of  the  late 
Jacob  Bowman,  was  the  daughter  of  Thomas 
Weiss,  of  Weissport,  and  was  born  Dec.  5, 
1808.  She  was  tho  mother  of  ten  children. 
Three — Charles,  John  and  Louisa — died  in 
infancy.  Those  living  are  Mrs.  Cornelius 
Snyder  and  Mrs.  Perry  Wannemacher,  re- 
sidmgin  Alleutown;  Mrs.  Judge  Levi  Wentz, 
residing  in  Millport,  Carbon  Co.:  Bishop 
Thomas  Bowman,  of  Alleutown:  Capt.  James 
Bowman,  of  Wilkes-Barre:  W.  W.  Bowman, 
cashier  of  tho  First  National  Bank,  at  Le- 
hi^hton.  Sho  had  Iter  home  with  Judge 
Weniz  at  the  old  homestead  in  Millport,  but 
came  to  this  city  on  a  visit  to  her  children 
the  latter  part  of  July.  She  was  taken  sick 
at  the  house  of  Bishop  Thomas  Bowman,  and 
died  after  much  suffering  Nov.  1.  Deceased 
had  for  many  years  been  a  devoted  and  con- 
sistent member  of  the  Evangelical  Associ 
ation,  and  was  beloved  and  highly  respected 
by  all  who  knew  her.  She  died  very  peace- 
fully and  in  the  assurance  of  faith. 

OERILLA  WALLER    BEEBE. 
[Montrose  Republican.] 

Orrilla  Waller  Beebe  died  at  the  residence 
of  her  son,  E.  L.  Beebe  at  Franklin  Forks, 
Susquehanna  Co.,  Nov.  1,  1886,  aged  93 
years  and  0  months.  She  was  the  last  sur- 
vivor of  a  largo  family  of  children.  Her 
father,  Nathan  Waller,  was  one  of  the  early 
settlers  in  Wyoming  Valley,  bringing  his 
iamily  there  shortly  after  the  war  of  the 
revolution,  although  he  himself  had  been 
there  before,  but  was  temporarily  away  at 
time.  He  had  three  brothers-in-law  killed 
in  the  Wyoming  Massacre  in  1778.  Mrs. 
Beebe  was  the  youngest  but  one  of  ten 
children.  Her  father  left  the  valley  with 
his  family  in  1800  and  moved  to  the  town 
of  Windsor,  Broome  Co.,  N.  Y.,  where  he 
died  several  years  after,  leaving  a  fine  farm 
on  the  Susquehanna  river  which  fell  into  the 
hands  of  his  oldest  son,  Phineas  Waller, 
father  of  Dr.  D.  J.  Waller,  of  Bloom-burg, 
and  of  the  late  Judge  Waller  and  his  brother, 
George,  of  Honesdale.     The  old  Walier  farm 


58 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


in  "Windsor,  where  Mrs.  Beebe  spent  her 
youthful  days  and  a  portion  of  her  eaily 
married  life,  was  one  of  the  noted  land- 
marks on  the  Susquehanna  and  is  known  by 
the  same  title  yet  by  all  the  people  in  that 
and  adjoining  towns. 

1'ho  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in 
Wilkes-Barre  in  April,  3  793,  and  lived  there 
until  she  was  sixteen  years  of  age,  and  went 
from  there  to  Windsor  with  the  rest  of  the 
family.  The  moving  took  from  Monday 
morning  until  Saturday  night,  and  the  route 
was  from  Wilkes-Barre  to  Pittston,  then  up 
the  Lackawanna  to  Scranton,  and  from 
there  by  way  of  Dundaff  and  Clifford  and 
through  Harford  to  New  Milford,  spending 
Friday  night  at  Summersville  in  the  old  loe 
tavern,  a  place  well-known  to  all  the  early 
settlers  of  this  and  adjoining  counties. 

The  family  arrived  at  their  journey's  end 
in  Windsor  on  Saturday,  the  distance  being 
about  sixty  miles.  The  conveyance  used  in 
moving  consisted  of  two  two-horse  team-, 
and  two  saddle  horses,  on  which  the  girls, 
five  in  number,  alternately  rode  and  walked. 
Mrs.  Beebe  was  united  in  marriage  to  her 
late  husband,  Harry  Beebe,  when  twenty- 
four  years  of  age.  They  spent  a  married  life 
together  of  about  fifty-eight  years,  raising  a 
family  of  six  children,  four  sons  and  two 
daughters.  Her  husband  left  her  a  widow 
in  June,  1875. 

The  funeral  was  attended  by  a  large  con- 
gregation of  those  who  had  known  her  for 
more  than  half  a  century.  Her  remains 
were  lowered  to  their  last  resting  place  in 
the  little  cemetery  at  Franklin  Forks,  by 
two  sous  and  four  grandsons  acting  as  pail 
bearers. 

JOHN   WKOTH. 

An  incident,  none  the  less  sad  from  the 
fact  that  it  had  been  expected,  was  the  death 
Tuesday,  Nov.  16,  of  John  Wroth,  cashier 
of  the  Wyoming  National  Bank.  Mr.  Wroth 
was  48  years  old.  universally  known,  loved 
and  respected,  not  only  in  Wilkes-Barre,  but 
in  a  large  circle  of  acquaintance  at  his  for- 
mer home.  He  had  been  ill  with  a  compli- 
cated disease  for  more  than  two  years.  His 
malady  had  been  of  a  character  to  elude  di- 
agnosis by  eminent  physicians  and  it  was 
only  recently  that  his  suffering  was  found  to 
be  due  to  the  presence  of  a  tumor  in  the 
throat. 

Mr.  Wroth  was  born  in  Cecil  County,  Md., 
Sept.  22,  1838.  and  had  therefore  just  en- 
tered on  the  49th  year  of  his  life.  His 
youth  and  early  manhood  were  passed  on 
his  father's  farm,  where  he  was  born.  From 
the  Cecil  County  farm  Mr.  Wroth  went  to 
Philadelphia,  where  he  was  employed  for 
several  years  as  a  head  accountant  by  the 
Empire  Transportation  Co.  From  t hi~  po- 
sition he  went  into  the  coal  shipping  busi- 
ness.    In    1874  Mr.  Wroth   came  to   Nanti- 


coke  und  accepted  the  position  of  cashier 

offered  to  him  by  the  late  Washington  Fee, 
who  had  established  there  a  savings  bank. 
A  year  later  M  r.  Wroth  married  Elizabeth 
Norton,  daughter  of  Win.  B.  Norton.  Esq.,  a 
man  prominent  for  many  years  in  Wilkes- 
Barre.  Jn  L876,  owing  to  the  death  of  Mr. 
Lee,  the  Nanticoke  bank  retired  from  busi- 
ness and  Mr.  Wroth  came  to  Wilkes-Barre, 
in  charge  of  his  interests,  and  in  1884  ho 
undertook  the  position  of  cashier  of  the 
Wyoming  National  Bank,  holding  it  until 
death  severed  his  connection  with  affairs  of 
this  world.  Mr.  Wroth  leaves  a  wife  and 
son,  Bentley,  a  boy  nine  years  of  age.  Mrs. 
Wroth  holds  an  insurance  policy  of  811,000 
on  her  husband's  life. 

In  addition  to  the  loss  which  Mr.  Wroth's 
many  friends  sustain  by  the  death  of  one 
whose  character  was  in  a  high  degree  lovable 
and  worthy  of  emulation,  the  public  suffers 
a  genuine  calamity.  Mr.  Wroth's  business 
judgment,  his  skill  and  ingenuity  and  pains- 
taking methods  in  accounts,  have  long 
been  known  and  reprected  in  this  city,  lie 
was  a  man  who  was  becoming  closely  iden- 
tified with  the  interests  of  the  town  and 
whose  character  and  abilities  would  have 
been  of  large  advantage  in  our  industrial 
growth.  Mr.  Wroth  was  a  vestryman  of  St. 
Stephen's  Episcopal  Church  and  the  funeral 
service  was  held  at  that  church  Thursday 
forenoon  at  11  o'clock. 

ISAAC   KirPLE. 

Laac  Ripple,  who  died  in  White  Haven  on 
Oct.  31,  was  one  of  the  most  widely  known 
and  highly  respected  citizens  of  Luzerne 
and  Carbon  Counties.  He  was  born  in 
Hanover  Township  80  > ears  ago  next  Feb- 
ruary, and  was  a  twin  brother  of  Abram 
Ripple,  who  died  in  1875,  after  amassing  a 
large  fortune.  The  brothers  went  from 
Wyoming  Valley  to  the  Lehigh  region  about 
1835,  where  they  had  extensive  contracts 
with  tiie  Lehigh  Coal  &  Navigation  Co.. 
constructing  the  dams  in  the  Lehigh,  after- 
wards swept  away  by  a  great  freshet.  He 
first  located  at  Mauch  Chunk,  where  he 
married  a  Miss  Conner,  who  survives  him. 
About  18313  he  went  to  White  Haven,  then  a 
wilderness,  bought  a  lot  of  the  Navigation 
Co.,  cut  down  the  trees  and  built  a  house, 
now  the  site  of  the  White  Haven  Hotel  at 
the  railroad  station,  afterwards  built  by 
him.  He  was  landlord  ot  this  hostelry  for 
nearly  30  years,  and  it  was  a  favorite  stop- 
ping place  for  sta^e  coaches  between  Wiikes- 
Barre  and  Philadelphia  in  the  olden  time. 
About  1808  he  moved  on  a  farm  of  100 
acres,  lying  just  outside  of  White 
Haven,  which  he  had  cleared  and  which 
was  one  of  the  finest  in  Foster  Township. 
He  afterwards  moved  on  an  adjacent  smaller 
farm  where  he  died.  He  leaves  an  estate 
valued   at    about  $2o,000.     He   was  a   Free 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


59 


Mason  and  field  nearly  nil  the  local  positions 
of  trust  in  communities  in  which  he  lived. 
He  was  regarded  as  an  eminently  upright 
and  useful  citizen.  Besides  his  wife  he  is 
survived  by  a  daughter  Elizabeth,  widow  of 
Tlu'o.  Smith,  of  White  Haven;  daughter 
A I » i ,  wife  of  C.  J.  Shoemaker,  of  White 
Haven:  daughter  Alice,  wife  of  Joseph 
Handlong,  of  Foster;  daughters  Anna  and 
Clara,  unmarried;  Washington  and  George 
unmarried  sons.  Mayor  Ezra  H.  Ripple,  of 
Scranton,  is  a  nephew.  Among  those  pres- 
ent at  the  funeral  were  John  Brown,  of  Eas- 
ton;  Jesse  Lines,  of  Easton,  now  60  years 
old,  a  boy  with  him  in  Hanover:  Manus  Mc- 
Ginty,  of  \\  ilkes-Barre  and  others.  The  ser- 
mon was  by  Rev.  G.  H.  Day,  a  minister  with 
whom  he  had  become  acquainted  in  White 
Haven  in  18-12,  and  who  after  the  mutations 
of  46  years  in  the  Methodist  itineracy,  is 
again  stationed  in  White  Haven.  He  was 
buried  after  the  Masonic  ritual  by  Laurel 
Lodge. 

ROBERT  M'D.  SHOEMAKER. 

At  1  pm.  Nov.  22,  Robert  McDowell 
Shoemaker  died  at  his  residence  in  Forty 
Fort,  aged  74  years.  He  had  been  ill  for  the 
past  six  months  with  a  rheumatic  affection, 
which,  coupled  with  a  general  failing  of  the 
vital  forces,  culminated  in  his  death. 

Deceased  was  a  son  of  Col.  Elijah  Shoe- 
maker, a  prominent  man  in  Wyoming  in  his 
day  and  generation.  His  great-grandfather, 
Benj.  Shoemaker,  emigrated  from  the  banks 
of  the  Delaware  ( now  Monroe  County)  to 
Wyoming  in  1763,  but  as  the  attempted  set- 
tlement was  crushed  by  the  Indians  in  that 
year  he  returned  from  whence  he  came  and 
never  came  back.  The  grandfather  of  de- 
ceased, also  Elijah,  was  among  the  Connecti- 
cut settlers  who  located  at  Wyoming  in  1776. 
Two  years  later  he  lost  his  life  in  the  massa- 
cre of  Wyoming.  He  was  survived  by  an 
infant  son,  also  named  Elijah,  father  ot  de- 
ceased. This  infant  was  born  May  20,  177S, 
his  mother  being  Jane  McDowell,  daughter 
of  .John,  of  what  is  now  Monroe  County. 
The  paternal  name  was  bestowed  upon  de- 
ceased. We  quote  from  Kulp's  "Families  of 
Wyoming  Valley:" 

"Elijah,  dnrmg  the  pendency  of  the  dis- 
putes as  to  the  title  to  the  land  of  the  valley, 
cleared  a  portion  of  that  which  he  had  pur- 
chased with  money  left  him  by  his  father  of 
the  Susquehanna  Company,  built  an  unpre- 
tentious habitation,  and  engaged  in  farm- 
ing in  a  small  way.  It  was  while  his  affairs 
were  in  this  condition  that  the  grandfather 
[of  deceased]  was  born  and  the  massacre  of 
Wyoming  occurred:  wherein  he  acted  as 
lieutenant  in  the  little  band  of  patriots,  and 
was  slain.  The  widow  and  her  babe  were 
hft  in  very  poor  circumstances,  for  practi- 
cally  everything    in    their  little   home  had 


been  carried  off  or  destroyed  by  the  British 
and  savages." 

On  his  mother's  side  deceased's  grand- 
father was  Col.  Nathan  Denison,  whose  mar- 
riage in  1760,  with  Elizabeth  Sill,  is  historic, 
having  been  the  lirst  nuptial  knot  tied  in 
Wyoming  Valley.  From  this  marriage 
came  Lazarus  Denison,  father  of  the  late 
Charles  Denison,  E-q.,  and  the  name  is 
handed  down  to  Hon.  L.  D.  Shoemaker,  a 
brother  of  deceased.  Mr.  Shoemaker's 
death  occurred  upon  the  snme  fruitful  acres 
that  have  been  »n  the  family  for  more  than  a 
century  and  which  were  paid  for,  not  only 
with  hard  earned  treasure,  but  with  trie  lite 
blood  of  a  distinguished  ancestor. 

Deceased  was  born  Feb.  12,  1812,  and 
passed  the  whole  of  his  life  in  the  vicinity  of 
Forty  Fort.  He  was  educated  in  the  old 
Wilkes-Barre  Academy  and  in  his  early  man- 
hood entered  the  mercantile  business  at 
Forty  Fort,  and  retained  his  interest  therein 
until  some  12  or  15  years  ago,  when  he  re- 
tired from  all  active  business  and  devoted 
himself  to  his  farming  interests.  His  dispo- 
sition was  quiet  and  retiring.  Though  a 
staunch  Republican,  he  took  no  active  par- 
ticipancy  in  politics  and  never  hold  or 
sought  any  public  office  or  trust.  He  was 
widely  known  and  universally  esteemed 
throughout  the  valley  as  a  man  of  generous 
and  refined  nature,  of  the  strictest  integrity 
and  in  his  earlier  years  of  great  industry. 

He  was  the  fourth  son  of  Col.  Elijah  Shoe- 
maker, who  had  six  sons  and  three  daughters. 
Of  this  family  but  two  are  now  living,  Hon. 
L.  D.  Shoemaker,  of  this  city,  and  Caroline, 
wifeof  Dr.  Levi  Ives,  of  New  Haven.  Conn. 
Dr.  ives  was  in  attendance  in  consultation 
with  iocai  physician*  a  short  time  before 
Mr.  Shoemaker's  decease. 

He  leaves  one  son,  Robert,  now  superin- 
tendent for  several  collieries  of  the  Lehigh 
Valley  Coal  Co.,  who  resides  on  North  River 
Street,  in  this  city,  and  is  esteemed  as  one 
of  the  most  efficient  and  energetic  men 
connected  with  the  company.  The  funeral 
took  place  on  Friday  at  2  pin.  from  the 
late  residence,  the  interment  being  made  in 
Forty  Fort  cemetery. 

R.    R.    SNOWDEN. 

The  many  friends  of  Rev.  E.  Hazard 
Snowden,  the  oldest  Presbyterian  clergyman 
in  Wyoming  Valley,  will  be  sorry  to  hear 
that  he  has  recently  sustained  the  loss  of  a 
much  loved  brother,  Col.  Robert  Ralston 
Snowden.  His  death  occurred  Nov.  14, 
in  Memphis,  Tenn.,  in  which  city  he  had 
carried  on  the  mercantile  business  for  the 
last  12  or  lo  years.  Col.  Snowden  was  in 
the  77th  year  of  his  a^'eaud  was  a  prominent 
and  honored  citizen  of  the  once  fever-stricken 
pity  along  the  Mississippi,  though  he  never 
flinched   when  the  yellow  fever  was  decimat- 


60 


THE  HJSTORICAJ   UECOIID. 


ingtho  city's  populace,  hi:  death  occurred 
at  tho  residence  of  his  nephew,  Col.  Robert 
Bogardus  Snowden.  The  latter  was  a  gal- 
lant officer  in  the  Confederate  army,  and  was 
a  grandson  of  Gen.  Robert  Bogardus,  of 
New  York. 

Deceased  was  born  at  New  Hartford,  N. 
Y.,  and  was  the  eighth  child  of  Rev.  Samuel 
Finley  Snowden,  out  of  whose  family  of  10 
children,  three  are  living — Rev.  E.  Hazard 
Snowden,  of  Luzerne  County;  Arthur  Henry 
Snowden,  a  merchant  in  Stratford,  Conn., 
and  James  Anderson  Snowden,  a  planter  in 
Arkansas.  His  wife  died  some  years  ago 
and  he  is  survived  by  only  one  child,  a  mar- 
ried daughter. 

The  grandfather  of  deceased,  Isaac  Snow- 
den, was  a  prominent  Philadelphian  during 
the  Revolutionary  war  and  at  one  time  was 
treasurer  of  the  city  and  county  of  Philadel- 
phia. Ho  was  so  pronounced  a  Whig  that 
his  presence  was  particularly  obnoxious  to 
the  British  during  their  occupancy  of  Phila- 
delphia and  he  and  his  family  were  com- 
pelled to  seek  safety  in  the  country.  He  was 
a  large  owner  of  real  estate  iu  the  city  of 
Philadelphia. 

Isaac  Snowden  had  five  sons,  all  of  whom 
were  graduated  from  Princeton  College,  and 
four  of  whom  were  ministers— Rev.  Samuel 
Finley  Snowden,  who  took  the  class  honors 
and  who  became  the  first  pastor  of  the  First 
Presbyterian  Church  of  Princeton:  (he  was 
the  father  of  deceased  and  of  Rev.  E.  Hazard 
Snowden):  Gilbert,  who  preached  at  Cran- 
berry, N.  J.,  and  who  was  a  fine  extempore 
speaker;  Charles  and  Nathaniel,  the  latter 
located  at  Pittsburg  and  Harrisburg. 

Of  Rev.  Samuel  Finley  Snowden's  family, 
Mary  Cox  married  Dr.  RosweU  P.  Hayes, 
and  was  the  mother  of  Hon.  Samuel  Snowden 
Hayes,  an  eminent  Chicago  lawyer,  politician 
and  friend  of  Stephen  A.  Douglas,  though  he 
once  worsted  the  latter  in  a  public  debate  in 
Chicago  during  the  agitation  of  the  Missouri 
Compromise,  the  populace  by  an  overwhelm- 
ing vote  sustaining  Mr.  Hayes'  opposition 
to  the  revocation  of  the  Compromise.  The 
other  children  of  Rev.  S.  F.  Snowden  were 
Samuel  Breese,  £.  II.,  (living),  Arthur 
Henry,  (living),  Susan  Breese,  James 
Anderson,  John  Bayard,  Robert  Ralston, 
(just  deceased),  Sydney  Breeso  and  Eliza- 
both  Breese. 


Survey  for  Kingston. 
[From  MSS.  collection  of  Hon.  Steuben  Jenkins.] 
A  road  laid  out  by  Silas  Bingham.  vVilliam 
Buck,  John  Perkins,  Timothy  Smith,  lieu- 
ben  Davis  and  John  Jenk.ns,  who  were  ap- 
pointed a  committee  for  that  purpose  on  the 
25th  of  May,  1770.  After  looking  and 
viewing  for  some  time  we  begun  on  Shawnee 
line  about  20  rods  east  of  Toby's  Creek,  at  a, 
saxaf  rax  stake  on  the  east  side  of  a  road, 


which  we  laid  six  rods  wide.  Thence  we  ran 
north  45  degrees  east,  about  2%  miler  to  a 
small  white  oak  staddle  on  the  north  side  of 
the  town  plot,  thence  X.  35  minutes  E.  346 
rods  to  a  savil'rax  stake  on  the  DOrth  side  of 
Abraham's  Creek;  thence  N.  70  degrees  E. 
172  rods  1o  a  walnul  stake:  th  nee  N.  40  de- 
grees E.  53  rods  to  a  black  oak  stake:  thence 
N.  50  degrees  E.  about  1  mile  to  tho  town 
line,  of  Kingston  and  Exeter. 

Some  Newspaper  Clippings. 
[F/oin Republican  Fanner,  W-B.,  Oct.  20,  L830.] 

SUSQU EHANNA  LIN >:. 

This  line  has  commenced  running  regular- 
ly between  Wilkes-Barre,  Northumberland, 
Williamsport,  Harrisburg  and  Philadelphia 
and  intermediate  places.  The  boats  leave 
Wilkes-Barre  daily  at  2  o'clock  pm.  and  ar- 
rive at  Northumberland  every  morning  at 
1}:',  o'clock  and  at  Harrisburg  the  following 
evening  at  0  o'clock,  where  passengers  will 
remain  overnight  and  take  the  r  Olroad  cars 
next  morning  for  Philadelphia,  &c — through 
in  48  hours  from  Wilkes-Barre. 
Fare  to  Northumberland S2.00 

"     "  Harrisburg   4.00 

''     "Philadelphia 8.00 

For  freight  or  passage  apply  to 

P.  McC.  Gilchrist,  Phoenix  Hotel, 

Wilkes-Barre,  May  7,  1839. 

[In  our  days  of  "apprenticeship,"  cheap 
fuel  and  rapid  transit  such  things  seem  very 
antiquated.  Will  the  next  half  century 
bring  communism,  a  new  caloric  and  aerial 
yachts  ?] 

RUNAWAY  APPK ENTICE . 

In  the  Wilkes-Barre  papers  of  that  day 
such  advertisements  as  the  following  appear, 
accompanied  by  a  picture  of  a  little  fellow 
galloping  off  with  a  bundle  tied  to  a  stick 
and  thrown  over  the  shoulder: 

"SIX  CENTS  REWARD.— Ran  away  from 
the  subscriber  on  the  12th  inst..  James 
Prinyle,  an  indented  apprentice  to  the  farm- 
ing business,  he  was  about  14  years  of  age, 
of  light  complexion,  he  had  on  when  he  went 
away  butternut  colored  pantaloons,  and 
frock  coat,  all  persons  are  forbid  harboring 
or  trusting  him  on  any  account  as  no  charges 
will  be  paid.  Isaac  Smith. 

Exeter  Township,  April  0th.  1830." 

COAn   FIFTY    YEARS   AGO. 
[From  Republican  Fanner.  Dec.  "2,  1835.] 
A  Cabp. — I   am  now  ready  to  deliver  coal 
to  the  citizens  of  Wilkes-Barre  at  the  follow- 
ing prices,  viz.:  At  the  shute. 

Lump  coal,  per  ton  of  2,240  lbs 81  25 

Bioken  coal  and  raked 1  12 

Fine  coal  without  screening 75 

Lime   burner's  coal   per  bushel  l!o  cents, 
and  2o  cents  per  ton  additional  for  hauling. 
A  lex  and  F.a  Gray, 
Agent  for  Thomas  Symington, 
Wilkes-Barre,  Oct.  27,  1835, 


Tllh:  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


61 


Willces-Iiarre  Schools  Fifty  Years  Apo. 
[Contributed  byG.H.  R.  Plumb.J 

The  following  references  to  early  educa- 
tional facilities  in  Luzerne  County  will  bo 
interesting,  not  only  to  the  oldest  genera- 
tion now  living,  but  to  their  children,  in 
whoso  minds  the  experiences  nf  their  parents 
in  those  early  days  wear  the  glamor  of  mis- 
tical heroism.  The  elder  Dr.  Miner's  letter 
shows  the  spirit  of  most  of  those  of  his 
generation,  but  with  all  their  attempts  they 
failed  to  repair  the  old  academy  to  any  ex- 
tent. Very  likely  it  was  owine  to  the  ex- 
ceedingly hard  times  following  the  financial 
policy  of  the  Government,  and  also  that 
emigration  to  the  Western  States  was  in 
everybody's  mind. 

The  fact  that  there  was  a  female  seminary 
here  so  long  ago  is  not  generally  known 
among  the  younger  people.  "Wyoming 
Seminary,"  another  institution  for  females 
contemporaneous  with  the  former,  was  con- 
ducted by  the  Misses  Perry,  also,  in  Wilkes- 
Barre,  having  courses  of  study  and  expenses 
not  quite  so  high. 

Is  it  not  a  little  singular  that  the  enterprise 
which  reared  and  sustained  three  such  insti- 
tutions under  such  circumstances  should 
have  languished  and  been  succeeded  by  an 
apparently  ineradicable  stigma  of  "old  fogy- 
ism?"  If  it  has  resulted  from  the  systems 
of  instruction  and  discipline  that  they  prac- 
ticed, our  posterity  will  have  abundance  of 
opportunity  in  the  future  to  rid  themselves 
of  spch  shackles  through  the  influence  of 
"object  lessons,''  "kindergartens''  and  ''in- 
dustrial schools." 

AN   APPEAL   FOR   THE   OLD    ACADEMY. 

[Excerpts  from  *  letter  by  Dr.Thomas  W.  Viner 
in  Republican  Fanner,  April  20,  1836,  John 
Atherholt,  Printer  and  Publisher.] 

"As  the  old  academy  is  no  longer  fit  for 
use  but  sinking  into  ruinous  dilapidation, 
the  question  forces  itself  upon  us— shall  we 
let  it  go?  .  .  .  We  might  point  with 
pride  to  numbers  of  men  in  active  life  at 
home  and  aboad,  who  adorn  the  professions 
in  which  they  are  engaged — at  the  sacred 
altar— in  the  army— at  the  bar  and  in  other 
employments  who  owe  to  the  academy  here 
the  best  part  of  the  education  which  has 
rendered  them  useful,  successful  and  distin- 
guished. ...  it  is  firmly  believed  that 
no  institution  of  the  kind  in  the  State, 
during  a  number  of  years  past,  has  perform- 
ed the  purposes  of  its  establishment  more 
effectively.  .  .  .  Not  the  citizens  of  the 
borough  or  vicinity  alone,  then,  are  con- 
cerned in  having  a  first-rate  academy  at 
V\  ilkes-Barre,  but  also  the  whole  county. 
Shall  it  be  said  that  the 
institution  which  our  fathers  reared 
when  the  county  was  yet  new  and  money 
scarce,  and  with  which  so  many  honorable 
names    are  associated,    as    Scott,   Mallory, 


Greenough,  Dyer,  Denison,  Beaumont, 
Joseph,  and  Joel  Jones,  and  i  may  be  par- 
doned if  I  add  C.  Miner,  shall  bo  neglected 
an  d  decay  with  on  t  an  effort  on  our  part  to 
hold  fast  the  benefits  that  have  resulted  to 
us?  .  .  .  And  now  with  double  the 
wealth  and  treble  the  population  is  there 
not  public  spirit  enough  in  the  county  to 
preserve  it?  Is  there  no  reason  to  suppose 
that,  when  the  public  improvements  now  in 
a  state  of  advancement  shall  be  completed 
and  the  valley  rendered  easily  accessible  that 
this  will  become  a  place  of  resort  by  the  in- 
telligent traveler  from  Europe  as  well  as 
those  of  own  country?  ...  A  nourish- 
ing academy,  the  tuition  being  moder- 
ate, would  bring  from  40  to  50  boarders  to 
the  town;  the  shoemaker  would  of  course  be 
called  on  for  shoes,  and  the  tailor  and  mer- 
chant in  their  callings:  boarding  houses 
would  be  employed,  and  the  farmer  have 
new  demand  for  his  produce." 

The  Wilkes-Barre  Female  Seminary  was 
opened  during  the  latter  years 
of  the  existence  of  the  academy.  It 
was  on  "River"  Street,  only  shortly  before 
changed  to  that  name  from  "Bank*'  Street. 
The  appended  advertisement  isin  the  Re- 
publican tanner  for  April  24,  1839: 

WILKES-BABBE  FEMALE  SEMINAEY. 

This  institution  will  be  open  on  the  first 
Wednesday  in  May  for  the  reception  of 
pupils.  The  course  of  study  will  embrace 
three  years,  including  the  primary  clasp, 
each  j  ear  consisting  of  two  terms  of  22 
weeks  each.     .     .     . 

The  course  will  embrace  the  following 
studies: 

PEIMABY   CLASS. 

1st  Term — Orthography,  reading,  writing, 
grammar,  geography,  arithmetic,  history, 
composition,  etc.,  etc. 

2d  Term— Studies  of  the  preceding  term 
reviewed  and  continued;  outline  of  history, 
natural  philosophy. 

JUNIOR  CLASS. 

1st  Term — Grammar,  arithmetic,  history 
geography,  rhetoric  with  a  reference  to 
composition,  physiology. 

2d  Term — Grammar,  chemistry,  intellect- 
ual philosophy,  geography  of  the  heavens, 
algebra,  logic  and  composition. 

SENIOR   CLASS. 

1st  Term— Algebra  continued,  logic, 
Euclid,  Aberombie  on  Moral  Feelings,  as- 
tronomy, history,  composition. 

2d  Term — Euclid,  moral  science,  Evidence 
of  Christianity,  Butler's  Analogy,  chemistry, 
geology.     .     .     . 

TEEMS. 

For  board,  lights,  fuel.  etc..  with  tuition  in 
English  branches,  £?;>  per  terra. 

For  tuition  of  da>  pupil.-,  in  English 
branches,  S6  per  quarter. 


62 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Washing  per  dozen    50 

For  tuition  in  French, $5.00 

"         "       "  Drawing  and  Painting.  4.00 

"         "       "  Mu^ic 3.00 

Use  of  Piano 2.00 

Provision  will  be  made  for  instruction  in 
Latin  and  Greek  without  any  additional 
eharge  to  the  pupil. 

The  department  of  Education  will  bo 
under  the  direction  of  Miss  F.  M.  Wood- 
worth.  The  Seminary  is  delightfully  situated 
on  tho  bank  of  the  Susquehanna. 

State  Historical  Society  Reception. 

Some  of  our  local  antiquarians  received 
invitations  to  the  fall  reception  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania Historical  Society,  in  Philadelphia 
on  Thursday  Nov.  11.  The  affnir  was  in 
charge  of  a  committee  of  two,  consisting  of 
Messrs.  F.  D.  Stone  and  F.  H.  Williams. 
All  ot  the  rare  historical  treasures  of  the 
society  were  thrown  open  for  the  inspection 
of  the  guests.  The  reception  continued 
from  eight  o'clock  until  twelve.  A  luncheon 
was  served  at  half-past  nine.  Anion cr  the 
prominent  persons  oresent  were:  Hon. 
Thomas  H.  Dudley,  Assistant  Bishop  Whita- 
ker,  Dr.  William  R.  Dunton,  Kdward  Ship- 
pen,  John  Jordan.  Jr  ,  Charles  Speucer, 
Engineer  George  W.  Melville  (the  Arctic  ex- 
plorer), S.  Grant  Smith,  George  M.  Conar- 
roe,  Counsellor  John  I.  Clark,  H.  S.  Morris, 
Horatio  Gates  Jones,  James  B.  Sword  and 
others. 

A  N  i:  V  i:  XT  F  LLC  A  K  K  E  R . 

A  Native  of  Wilkes-IJai  re  Who  Passed 
Through  Two  Wars,  "Was  Attacked 
With  Chagres  Fever  in  South  America, 
Narrowly  Escaped  Assassination  in 
Missouri  and  Finally  Met  Death  by 
Accident. 

The  Rochester  Union  and  Advertiser  has 
an  interesting  biographical  sketch  of  our 
former  townsman,  W.  R.  Loop,  whose  death 
by  accident  has  already  been  noted  in  the 
Recoed.  His  career  was  so  eventful  that 
we  believe  our  readers  will  be  glad  to  peruse 
such  portions  of  it  as  we  can  make  room 
for: 

At  St.  Louis  at  the  breaking  out  of  the 
Mexican  War,  he  enlisted  as  a  private,  con- 
tinuing in  the  army  until  the  end  of  the  war. 
He  was  in  the  regiment  under  Col.  Dono- 
phan  when  the  famous  march  was  made  un- 
der Gen.  Kearney  from  St.  Louis  to  Santa 
Fe.  This  was  in  1846.  The  regiment  was 
disbanded  at.  S  nta  Fe,  the  soldiers  rinding 
their  way  back  to  St.  Louis  on  foot  in  squads 
of  six  to  ten.  Soon  after  his  return  to  St. 
Louis  he  embarked  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness with  a  Mr.  Brand  (a  Creole. )  The  busi- 
ness was  continued  until  the  great  lire, 
about  1849,  when  he  was  joined  by  his 
brother  Kdward.    This    was    the    year    that 


the  cholera  prevailed  to  such  an  ala.ming 
extent,  very  many  persons  fleeing  from  the 
city.  Not  so  with  Loop.  He  remained  per- 
severingiy,  attending  to  his  business,  striv- 
ing and  succeeding  in  paying  his  debts, 
thoughthe  insurance  companies  paid  himonly 
50  cents  on  the  dollar,  the  severity  of  their 
losses  compelling  them  in  this  course.  These 
were  blue  times  for  Loop;  he  paid  his  debts, 
but  only  had  enough  money  remaining  to  pur- 
chase him  an  outfit  for  a  journey  across  the 
plains  in  1S50  to  California,  which  was  com- 
ing into  notice  about  this  time.  He  made 
the  journey  with  five  companions,  on  foot, 
having  ox  teams  to  carry  their  luggage. 
The  panic  of  1851  bein^r  precipitated  soon 
after  he  returned  from  California,  and  in 
order  to  economize  he  shipped  as  a  common 
sailor  before  the  mast,  down  the  Pacific 
coast  to  Nicaragua,  thence  through 
the  Nicaragua  river  and  lake  to  Greytown, 
where  he  had  a  violent  attack  of  the  Cha- 
gres fever  caused  by  exposure  in  the  rainy 
season,  under  a  burning  sun.  From  Grey- 
town  h-  took  the  steamer  Daniel  Webster  to 
New  York,  being  only  just  alive  when  the 
steamer  arrived.  On  recovering  from  this 
tedious  and  dangerous  illness,  lasting  the 
entire  winter,  he  found  his  way  to  Hannibal, 
Mo.,  where  he  was  employed  by  Mr.  I.  R. 
Selms,  an  old  and  highly  respected  merchant. 
Here  he  purchased  a  nice  residence  and  had 
his  mother  and  sister  with  him.  He  remain- 
ed at  Hannibal  until  the  exciting  secession 
times  (preceding  the  Rebellion)  staunchly 
maintaining  his  character  of  a  Union  man. 
loving  his  country  and  willing  to  make  any 
sacrifice.  It  will  be  remembered  that  Union 
men,  living  on  the  borders  between  the 
Northern,  or  free  States,  and  the  South- 
ern, or  slaves  States,  were  in  most  trying 
positions.  No  one  probably  suffered 
more  for  his  loyalty  than  Mr.  Loop. 
The  men  treated  him  cruelly,  and  the 
women  pointed  their  fingers  at  him  in  scorn 
and  derision  in  the  streets.  Yet  he  was  xot 
to  be  swerved  a  hair's  breadth  from  the  line 
of  duty,  as  he  understood  it.  An  acquain- 
tance came  near  to  him  one  day  in  his  place 
of  business,  when  suddenly,  without  warning 
of  any  kind,  gave  him  a  violent  blow  on  the 
head  with  a  brick,  evidently  intending  to 
kill  him.  He  concluded  after  this  occurence 
that  it  was  not  safe  for  him  to  remain  there, 
so  he  severed  his  connection  with  Mr.  Selms, 
much  to  the  sorrow  and  regret  of  the  latter, 
himself  a  Union  man,  who  was  ruined  by  the 
hatred  of  the  Secessionists,  and  compelled  a 
short  time  alter  Mr.  Loop's  departure  to  go 
himself.  On  leaving  Hannibal,  Loop  came 
east,  visiting  Wilkes-Barre,  Pa.,  the  home  of 
his  childhood,  it  was  there  that  he  enlisted 
among:  the  "Emergency  Men"  at  the  call  of 
the  State  government  in  the  summer 
of        1863.         After        being        mustered 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


G3 


out  of  service  on  this  occasion 
ho  returned  to  Wilkes -Bar  re,  and  after  a 
very  brief  period  ho  enlisted  again,  this 
time  at  the  call  of  the  general  government, 
for  three  years  of  the  war  in  the  143d  regi- 
ment, Pennsylvania  Volunteers,  This  regi- 
ment was  in  the  brigade,  which  was  under 
the  lamented  Gen.  Wadsworth,  which  went 
through  the  battles  in  Virginia.  On  the 
seventh  day  of  the  nine  days'  battle  of  the 
Wilderness  he  (Loop)  received  a  bullet 
through  his  hip,  which  wounded  him  so 
severely  that  he  was  incapacitated  for  severe 
manual  labor  during  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  He  was  taken  to  the  Donglas  Hospital 
in  Washington  and  from  there  he  was  trans 
ferred  to  the  City  Hospital  in  Rochester.  He 
continued  to  reside  here  up  to  the  dr.y  of  his 
death,  which  occurred  within  one  day  of  his 
sixty-fifth       birthday.  An        exemplary 

Christian,  a  faithful,  loving  son.  brother 
and  friend,  his  like  will  not  soon  be  found 
again. 

COLONIAL     SECRETARY      THOMPSON. 


The  Supposed  Stealing  of  His  Uocly  and 
the  Excitement  Which  was  Created— 
A  Man   Who   Figured    Prominently    in 

Continental  Affairs. 

A  recent  issue  of  the  Philadelphia  Evening 
Bulletin  contained  an  article  by  Dr.  James 
J.  Levick,  of  Philadelphia,  on  "Thellarnton 
Cemetery,"  an  ancient  private  burying 
ground  near  Bryn  Mawr,  the  paper  giving 
details  of  an  incident  which  agitated  the 
community  intensely  half  a  century  ago.  It 
appears  that  the  property  passed  in  1719 
from  Rowland  Ellis,  a  noted  Friend  minis- 
ter, to  the  Harrison  family,  who  had  come 
from  Maryland,  the  locality  soon  coming  to 
be  called  Harriton.  Richard  Harrison  pro- 
vided by  will  for  the  reservation  of  two  acres 
of  his  ground  in  Mtnon  Township  as  a 
Friends'  meeting  house  and  burial  place  for- 
ever, the  will  bearing  date  of  174H.  The 
cemetery  is  now  a  neglected  little  plot,  en- 
closed by  a  stone  wall,  within  which  are  20  or 
more  graves,  marked  and  unm  irked.  Sign- 
boards offer  a  reward  of  S20  for  arrest  of 
trespasses  who  injure  the  property.  The 
writer  goes  on  to  relate  how  these  signs  came 
to  be  placed  there.  In  1824  was  buried  here 
Charles  Thompson,  son-in-law  of  Harrison, 
the  founder.  He  was  an  Irishman,  an 
American  patriot,  and  being,  what  was 
rare  in  those  early  days,  a  short-hand,  writer 
he-was  chosen  secretary  of  the  Stamp  Act 
Congress  in  New  York,  in  17t?r>.  He  was 
unanimously  elected  secretary  of  the  Conti- 
nental Congress  throughout  its  existence 
and  was  secretary  or  the  tir.-i  IL.u^r  of 
R^pr^snT^t'vos.  ft  wns  h°  who  nftViilly 
notified  Washington  u*  his  * lrc. ion  p>  ihn 
Presidency.  He.  was  called  "rhe  Sam.  Adams 
of  Philadelphia,  the  life  of  the  cans.-  of  lib- 


erty." After  his  remains  had  been  peace- 
fully mouldering  m  the  tnmble-do  *n  bury- 
ing ground   of  Harriton   it  was  discovered 

that  his  grave  had  been  opened  and  the 
body  removed.  The  newspapers  condemned 
the  offence  and  reward  were  offered  tor  the 
perpetrators.  Tin's  soon  brought  out  a  letter 
from  a  nephew  of  Charles  Thompson,  tint 
out  of  respect  of  memory  of  his  uncle  and 
after  consultation  with  the  relatives  he  had 
caused  the  remains  to  be  removed  to  a  more 
suitable  place,  a  new  cemetery  known  as 
Laurel  Hill,  and  a  granite  monument  to  be 
erected.  The  affair  caused  great  excite- 
ment, but  the  public  finally  acquiesced  in 
the  remova'  and  it  became  forgotten.  Dr. 
Levick's  narrative  is  mainly  new  matter  and 
is  intensely  interesting.  Mr.  Thompson 
spent  his  declining  years  in  study  of  the 
bible,  he  having  made  an  original  transla- 
tion of  the  Septuagint  and  the  New  Testa- 
ment. 

The  Osterhout  Free  Library. 

The  will  of  the  late  Isaac  S.  Osterhout, 
who  provided  so  munificently  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  free  library  in  Wilkes-Barre, 
stipulated  that  no  steps  should  be  taken  until 
five  years  have  expired.  This  limit  will  be 
reached  next  soring  and  the  trustees  are 
casting  about  for  some  plan  to  pursue  when 
the  time  for  action  shall  arrive.  A  meeting 
was  held  by  them  last  week,  at  which  time 
a  distinguished  public  library  specialist  was 
present,  Mr.  Melvil  Dewey,  of  New  York, 
professor  of  Library  Economy  in  Columbia 
College,  consulting  librarian  of  VVellesley 
College,  secretary  of  the  American  Library 
Association,  editor  of  the  Library  Journal, 
etc.,  etc.  The  ground  was  carefully  gone 
over  with  this  gentleman  and  ins  views  had.  It 
will  be  remembered  that  an  arrangement 
has  already  been  made  for  the  purchase  of 
the  Presbyterian  Church  property  on  Frank- 
lin Street,  though  possession  cannot  be  had 
under  a  year  or  so,  or  at  least  until  the  con- 
gregation shall  be  able  to  worship  in  some 
portion  of  their  handsome  edifice  now  in 
course  of  construction  a  few  doors  below,  at 
the  corner  of  Franklin  and  Northampton 
Streets. 

It  has  been  expected  that  the  old  church 
would  be  demolished  and  a  library  building 
erected  on  the  site,  but  Mr.  Dewey  advises 
aerainstsneha  course,  at  least  for  the  present. 
His  suggestion  is  that  the  trustees  can  as 
yet  form  no  adequate  idea  of  the  extent 
to  which  such  a  library  would  be  patronized 
and  that  should  there  prove  to  be  little  de- 
mand, any  great  outlay  for  an  expensive 
building  or  for  an  immense  collection  of 
books  would  be  undesirable.  He  recom- 
mnTuD  that  the  interior  of  rh°  c'-r-ch  pdifice 
be  converted  into  a  library,  this  to  be  done 
without  any  considerable  outlay,  and  that 
the  books   be    purchased  by   degree-,  or  as 


04 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


rapidly  as  the  demand  Beems  to  warrant. 
After  a  few  years  of  such  a  trial  the  building; 
proper  could  bo  constructed  and  properly 
supplied  with  books.  The  church  being  m 
excellent  condition,  .Prof.  Dewey's  sug- 
gestion would  seem  to  be  an  eminently  prac- 
tical one.  His  suggestion  also  implies  the 
use  of  such  a  portion  of  the  interior  as  may 
be  necessary  tor  the-  reception  of  the  collec- 
tion of  the  Wyoming  Historical  Society  and 
the  use  of  tho  present  Sunday  school  room 
for  meetings  of  the  society.  Mr.  Dewey's 
plan  would  not  at  once  add  a  handsome 
building  to  our  city,  but  would  ultimately 
lead  to  this  desired  result. 


Caleb  K.  Wright,  J:sq.'s  New   Book. 

Our  readers  will  pleasurably  recall  a 
couple  of  historical  novels  from  the  pen  of 
our  former  townsman,  Caleb  E.  Wright, 
Esq.,  of  the  Luzerne  bar,  now  of  Doyles 
town.  In  1864  Harpers  published  his 
"Wyoming.  A  Tale."  an  octavo  pamphlet  of 
123  pages,  and  in  1873  J.  B.  Lippincott  & 
Co.  published  his  "Marcus  Blair.  A  Story 
of  Provincial  Times.  Written  for  the 
Young.  With  Illustrations,"  12  mo.,  pp. 
165. 

Now  wo  have  another  volume  from  his 
nimble  pen.  entitled  "On  the  Lackawanna. 
A  Tale  of  Northern  Pennsylvania."  It  is 
printed  at  Doylestowu  aud  is  dedicated  to 
his  life-long  friend  and  companion  on  the 
trout  streams,  Edward  Dolph,  of  Scranton. 
All  through,  the  book  suggests  the  dark 
forests  where  trout  abound,  aud  there  are 
numerous  pen  pictures  of  woods  life  which 
must  have  been  actual  experiences  of  this 
hardy  fisherman,  who  even  yet  visits  the 
trout  streams  of  old  Luzerne  as  regularly 
as  the  seasons.  The  volume  comprises  253 
pages  and,  as  its  title  implies,  has  for  its 
scene  tho  Lackawanna-Wyoming  region.  It 
is  a  tale  of  the  troublous  time  when 
the  Yankee  and  Pennamite  con- 
test for  tho  soil  of  Wyoming 
vexed  the  souls  of  our  ancestors  and  even 
spread  desolation  and  death  throughout 
this  beautiful  valley.  It  is  a  love  story — for 
what  purpose  is  it  to  write  unless  one  weaves 
a  tale  of  love  ?  It  opens,  perhaps  about 
1780,  certainly  before  1762,  with  a  thrilling 
forest  fire  in  the  mountains  of  the  Lacka- 
wanna valley,  and  the  meeting  under  a  stone 
arch  bridge  (the  only  place  of  safety)  of  two 
fugitives,  strangers  to  each  other,  a  young 
man  and  a  young  woman,  he  a  Pennsylva 
nian,  she  a  Yankee,  who  has  run  away  from 
her  Connecticut  home.  The  stone  arch 
bridge,  at  so  early  a  day,  is  rather  a  bold 
creation  of  the  novelist,  but  then  a  writer  of 
fiction  must  be  permitted  something  by  way 
of  poetic  license.  They  become  separated 
while  on  the  way  to  Capouse  Meadows,  and 
she  loses  herself  along  the   Nayaug.     After 


wandering  four  days  she  is  found  half  dead 
and  given  shelter  by  a  Connection!  family. 
The  pater  domo  intercepts  a  letter  from  her 
old  home  begging  her  to  return,  as  a  relative 
has  died,  leaving  her  the  heir  to  the  estate, 
it  to  revert  after  her  death  to  another  relative, 
who  happens  to  be  the  man  under  whose 
roof  she  is  now  being  nursed  back  to  life. 
He  determines  upon  making  way  with  her  by 
poison,  but  fails,  she  having  been  warned  by 
a  red-headed  urchin  who  figures  conspicu- 
ously in  the  narrative.  Two  other  unsuc- 
cessful murderous  attempts  are  subsequently 
made.  Shortly  after  she  is  ordered  under 
an  est  by  Col.  John  Franklin  on  suspicion  of 
being  a  Pennamite  spy.  The  evidence  con- 
sists of  a  package  found  in  her  possession, 
addressed  to  Alexander  Patterson,  then  in 
command  of  Wilkes-Barre  fort.  Her  enemy 
inflames  the  Connecticut  settlers  with 
whisky  and  lies  and  an  attempt  is  made  by 
tnem  to  hang  the  suspect  to  the  nearest  tree. 
An  old  Quaker  interferes  and  the  tradegy  is 
prevented,  the  crowd  consenting  to  a  trial, 
with  an  old  Hollander  as  judge.  She  proves 
her  Connecticut  extraction  and  explains  that 
the  package  was  slipped  into  her  hands  by 
her  unknown  companion  just  before  he 
left  her,  they  having  been  fired  at  from  an 
ambush.  Sho  is  speedily  transformed  from 
a  spy  to  a  heroine.  Col.  Franklin  makes 
an  announcement  which  thrills  her.  Her 
new  friend  is  a  pri-oner  in  the  hands  of 
Patterson,  at  Wilkes-Barre,  and  is 
to  be  shot  on  the  accusation  of  em- 
bezzling certain  funds  committed  to  his 
care  by  the  State  authorities,  to  be  delivered 
to  Patterson,  the  mysterious  package  al- 
ready alluded  to.  She  determines  to  rescue 
him,  a  feat  which  she  is  enabled  to  do,  aided 
by  the  red-headed  boy,  who  paddled  his  pas- 
sengers down  the  Lackawanna  and  Susque- 
hanna to  Wilkes-Barre  fort,  where  they  got 
the  sentinel  druuk  and  then  easily  rescued 
the  prisoner.  The  contests  between  tho 
Yankees  and  the  Pennamites  wax  warmer, 
acquaintance  kindles  into  love  and 
the  reader  cannot  fail  to  become 
intensely  absorbed  by  Mr.  Wright's 
interesting         narrative-  Names         of 

familiar  pioneers  are  here  and  there  in- 
troduc  d.  not  forgetting  the  first  physi- 
cian of  the  Lackawanna  region,  br.  Joseph 
Spragne.  The  author's  bent  of  mind  is 
strikingly  seen  in  every  chapter.  Some- 
times it  is  a  little  glimpse  of  the  glories  of 
angling  for  trout,  again  it  is  a  Hash  of  his 
legal  acumen,  aud  still  again  it  is  a  touch  of 
that  religious  fervor  which  has  always  made 
the  author  a  leader  in  the  church  of  his 
choice.  The  spirit  and  purpose  of  the  book 
is  excellent.  It  is  a  valuable  contribution  to 
the  literature  of  the  region  and  Mr.  Wright 
may  well  entertain  a  just  pride  in  being  its 
author. 


rirv*L. 


ton  .  .  xi 


A  MONTHLY    PUBLICATION 


DEVOTED    PRINCIPALLY     JO 


Ube  SBarlP  Ibisto^  of  W^cniing  Dalles 


AND  CONTIGUOUS  TERRITORY 


WITH 


NOTES  AND  QUERIES 


Biographical,  Antiquarian,  Genealogical 


Vol.   i] 


o 


EDITED  BY  F.  C,  JOHNSON,  M.  D. 


December   18S6 


[No.  4 


WiLKES-r.ARRF.,  PA. 

press  ox  u:e  tCUifee&OBarre  *i>vecorb 

MDCCCl-XXXVI 


The  Historical  Record. 


Contcntv 


Fugitives  from   the   Massacre 65 

Memorial  Volume  of  Dr.  Harrison  Wright 67 

Incidents  in  Life  of  Col.   John  Franklin.... 67 

Lieutenant  William  Jones  — 68 

An  Old  Poem  on  Ireland '. 69 

When  Berwick  was    Founded 69 

First  Forty  of  Kingston 69 

Historical  Society,   Proceedings  of  December  Meeting 71 

Early  Days  in   Wayne  County 72 

Col.   Sam  Hunter  on  the  Situation 72 

Indian  Name  of  Hunlock's  Creek 72 

The  Texas  Domain  — 72 

Hazleton's  Centennial 7$ 

Recent  Deaths 74 

Sarah  Gore  Wood,    Martin   Cor/ell,    Sarah   E.   Atherton. 

Historical  Notes 76 

Paper  Printed   by  Indians .  _  76 

Lehigh  Flood  of  1 841 76 


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No.  4. 


FUGITIVES    FKOitl    THE     SLAUGHTER, 


A  Narative  of  Pioneer  Suffering,  Never 
before  Publish  e  J  Here.  Hair  Breadth 
Escapes  From  the  Savages. 
In  Wyoming's  centennial  year  (1778),  the 
gentlemen  having:  in  charge  the  event  were 
the  recipients  of  numerous  interesting  his- 
torical communications  from  persons  in 
some  way  identified  with  the  valley,  but  not 
able  to  be  present  at  the  exercises.  All 
these  are  now  in  the  custody  of  the  Wyoming 
Commemorative  Association,  and  one  of 
them  has  been  furnished  by  Secretary  Wes- 
ley Johnson  for  publication  in  the  Rkcoi;d. 
It  is  an  obituary  of  one  of  the  fugitives  from 
the  slaughter,  and  was  accompanied  with  an 
explanatory  letter  to  Hon.  Steuben  Jenkins 
at  Wyoming,  from  John  L.  Davison,  Lock- 
port,  N.  Y.,  a  grandson  of  deceased.  He 
says  her  maiden  name  was  Elizabeth  Fitchet, 
and  that  her  husband  was  John  Davison 
the  son  of  John.  The  John  D.  Davison 
mentioned  in  the  letter  was  the  father  of 
John  L.  Davison,  the  fourth  bearing  the 
name  of  John.  The  obituary  was  taken 
from  the  Theresa  Chronicle,  Jefferson  Co., 
#.  Y.,  of  May  5,  1848,  and  is  (somewhat 
condensed)  as  follows: 

DEATH   OF   MRS.    ELIZABETH   DAVISON. 

The  above  named  lady  departed  this  life 
on  the  evening  of  Tuesday,  the  2nd  instant, 
in  the  87th  year  of  her  age,  at  the  residence 
of  her  daughter  in  this  village, 
_  Mrs.  Davison  was  a  native  of  Ponghkeep- 
sie,  from  whence  she  removed  witii  her  par- 
ents to  Pennsylvania  at  the  period  of 
the  Revolution,  and  resided  at  the 
time  of  the  massacre  at  Wyoming  at  a  small 
settlement  about  six  miles  from  that  ill  fated 
town. 

The  news  of  that  lamentable  event  warned 
the  settlers  of  the  village,  consisting  of  nine 
families, of  which  Mrs.  Davison's  formed  one. 
of  the  dangerous  situation  they  were  in.  Ac- 
cordingly they  lost  no  time  in  endeavoring 
to  seek  out  a  more  secure  abode,  and  after 
undergoing  fatigue  and  hunger  for  nine 
da>s  they  were  captured  by  a  party  of  In 
dians  and  Tories  and  reconducted  to  their 
abandoned  homes.  Here  their  captors. 
whose  business  was  plunder,  after  having 
selected  the  most  commodious  ami  sumptu- 
ous residence,  set  up  life  in  a  princely  style, 
compelling  their  pri-ouers  to  perform  till  the 
menial  offices  of  their  household. 


On  one  occasion  a  party  of  the  brigands, 
returning  hungry,  ordered  the  captive  ■• 
slaughter  a  pig  and  prepare  them  a  suppsr. 
Preparation  being  hastened  with  all  possible 
dispatch,  the  father  of  Mrs.  Davison,  em- 
ployed, as  desired  by  the  savage  leader,  in 
dressing  the  food,  a  tall  Indian  standing  in 
front  of  him,  offered  his  hand  in  friendly 
greeting— another  at  the  same  moment 
planting  himself  in  the  rear  of  his  intended 
victim  with  his  tomahawk  lifted  as  if  to  give 
the  fatal  blow,  while  the  first  savage  attempt- 
ed to  seize  the  knife  with  which  the  prisoner 
was  emplojed.  A  struggle  endued  for  the 
weapou,  in  which  the  savage  disarming  his 
foe,  fell  with  the  impetus  of  his  own  weight. 
Regaining  his  feet,  the  furious  Indian  sprang 
upon  his  prisoner,  aiming  the  fatal  plunge 
at  his  breast.  The  distracted  daughter,  who 
had  remained  till  tins  moment,  saw  no  more, 
but  lied  with  the  arrow's  speed,  and  reported 
the  supposed  murder  of  her  father  in  the 
rendezvous  of  her  party—and  then  with  the 
spirit  of  extermination  aroused  in  her 
agonized  breast,  she  procured  a  quantity  cf 
onions,  a  vegetable  of  which  the  Indians 
were  known  to  be  fond.  Slicing  them,  she 
mingled  with  them  a  quantity  of  arsenic, 
and  took  her  way  to  their  place 
of  banqueting  to  share  the  sad 
fate  of  her  father,  or  destroy  the  savages. 
But  their  supper  was  ended  and  the  banquet- 
ers gone  on  some  new  expedition  of  mischief. 
Where  the  girl  had  expected  to  find  the 
mangled  corpse  of  her  father,  no  trace  of 
him  was  to  be  met  with,  but  during  the  en- 
suing night  his  party  were  gladdened  by  his 
return  free  from  harm.  Having  eluded  the 
savage  who  had  been  intent  on  having  his 
scalp,  he  kept  himself  secreted  till  their  de- 
parture. 

On  another  occasion,  accompanying  a  dis- 
tressed wife,  whose  absent  husband,  it  was 
feared,  had  fallen  a  victim  to  the  violence  of 
the  times,  to  her  deserted  cabin  on  some 
necessary  errand,  the  sorrowing  woman  fell 
upon  her  knees  and  addressed  her  petitions 
with  such  fervor  to  the  God  of  battles  for 
the  preservation  raid  safe  return  of  her  hus- 
band as  to  inspire  the  trembling  girl,  who 
had  never  heard  prayer  uttered  in  that  fer- 
vent manner  till  then,  with  a  sympathetic 
confidence  with  the  poor  wife,  that  the  Su- 
premo Disposer  of  events  would  not  only  re- 
store the  absent  husband,  but  iu  duo  time 
rescue  the  suffering  band  of  captives,  whose 


66 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


lives  wore  suspended  as  upon  the  breath  of  a 
savago  brigand. 

"And  when  on  the  following  morning,"  to 
nee  the  impressive  language  of  the  deceased! 
•'I  saw  Thomas  Paine  for  whose  preserva- 
tion his  wife  had  so  fervently  prayed, 
the  only  survivor  of  a  scout  of  sixty 
chosen  men,  ascend  from  the  river  bauk 
in  his  saturated  apparel  and  rush  to  the  em- 
brace of  his  joyful  companion,  I  claimed  no 
further  evidenco  that  the  eternal  Jehovah 
took  cognizance  of  and  suoermtended  the 
affairs  of  men." 

The  discovery  of  a  barrel  of  spirits,  which 
had  been  hidden  in  an  adjoining  field  of 
wheat  on  the  flight  of  its  proprietor,  led  to 
the  escape  of  the  captives  and  consequent 
breaking  up  of  this  Tory  rendezvous.  The 
intoxicating  beverage  being  distributed 
among  the  reckless  band  aroused  the  slum- 
bering fiend  in  their  tierce  nature.  A  plot 
was  formed  in  their  drunken  councils  for  the 
massacre,  daring  the  ensuing  night,  of  all 
the  prisoners  in  their  possession,  and  but  for 
the  vigilance  of  Elizabeth,  whose  favor  with 
the  chief  gave  her  assurance  sometimes  to 
mingle  with  his  Tory  court,  the  whole  cap- 
tive party  must  have  shared  the  awful  fate 
of  their  neighbors  of  Wyoming.  Suspecting 
that  all  was  not  right,  the  heroic  girl,  taking 
advantage  of  the  friendship  of  a  young  In- 
dian girl,  won  the  important  secret;  and 
then,  acting  in  concert  with  the  young 
squaw,  locked  it  close  in  her  own  breast 
till  the  captives  had  retired  with  their 
children  to  their  allotted  "caboose"  for 
the  night,  and  the  precise  time  had 
arrived  when  the  frenzy  of  the 
savages  had  subsided  into  more 
helpless  intoxication,  she  -informed  her 
party  of  their  danger,  who  noiselessly  and 
successfully  stole  from  their  drunken  guard, 
took  a  new  direction  through  the  forest,  and 
finally  eluded  their  pursuers.  Though  in 
momentary  apprehension  of  a  recapture,  or 
a  scarcely  more  dreaded  death  that  seemed 
inevitable  from  exposure  or  starvation,  the 
hopes  of  this  hunted  party  seemed  not  to  be 
broken  till  on  the  third  day  of  their  second 
flight,  the  arrival  of  Col.  Butler,  with  a  force 
of  375  men,  to  their  inexpressible  relief, 
dispersed  the  brigands  and  garrisoned 
Fort  Wilkes- Barre  for  the  protection  of  the 
defenceless. 

The  father  of  Mrs.  Davison,  having  suf- 
fered so  severely  from  the  depredations  of 
the  Tories,  resolved  to  quit  so  insecure  an 
abode.  Accordingly,  he  set  out  immediately 
with  his  family,  consisting  of  eight  children, 
all  of  whom  were  under  sixteen  years  of 
age,  to  return  to  Ponghkeepsie,  whither  the 
mother  of  these  children  had  some  time 
preceded  them.  They  had  now  a  distance 
of  Borne  two  hundred  mile^  to  traverse.  The 
cattle,   with  the  goods    secured   upon    the 


backs  of  the  oxen,  were  given  in  charge  of 
the  heroic  Elizabeth,  now  but  seventeen 
years  of  age,  who,  without  j-hoes  and  with 
no  other  covering  for  her  head 
than         a         man's          hat,         and  in 

three  places  gashed  with  a 

tomahawk, entered  on  her  charge.  When  ar- 
rived at  the  Lehigh,  Elizabeth  with  her  cat- 
tle had  no  means  of  crossing  but  by  fording, 
and  being  at  a  distance  from  her  party,  who 
crossed  a  few  miles  below  upon  fallen  tim- 
ber, was  thrown  upon  the  resources  of  her 
own  invention  for  a  mode  of  subduing  the 
difficulty.  Directing  her  cattle  into  the 
stream,  which,  to  use  her  own  language, 
"was  as  orderly  as  a  company  of  soldiers," 
with  the  exception  of  tue  heifer,  which  she 
claimed  as  her  private  property,  this  animal 
she  retained  by  regaling  it  with  salt,  with 
which  her  pocket  was  furnished  for  the  use 
of  her  little  herd,  she  watched  the  progress 
of  the  others  till  they  were  safely  over,  and 
then  grasping  her  heifer  by  the  tail  with  her 
right  hand,  directing  the  animal  into  the 
stream,  holding  a  parcel  containing  her 
clothiug  above  her  bead  in  her  left  hand  re- 
solved, in  her  own  words,  "if  I  must  be 
drowned,  to  die  with  my  heifer.''  But  the 
ptrong  and  active  beast,  instinctively  carry- 
ing its  head  above  the  surface,  buffeted  the 
current  strongly,  notwithstanding  the  bur- 
den of  its  struggling  mistress,  and  both  were 
soon  in  safety  on  the  opposite  shore. 

On  one  of  the  last  days  of  her  journey 
Elizabeth  in  addition  to  her  other  charge, 
bore  her  little  brother  of  two  years  of  age 
sixteen  miles  upon  her  back. 

At  length  the  toilworn  party  arrived  at 
their  destination  in  August,  1778.  Refugees 
bereft  of  home  and  possessions,  the  evils  of 
destitution  and  want,  reared  their  formida- 
ble front  to  menace  the  happiness  of  this 
sorely  tried  family.  Yet,  Elizabeth  and  her 
sisters  p  ocured  employment  in  the 
families  of  their  more  wealthy  nevghbors, 
and  thereby  assibted  their  parents  with  the 
price  of  the  labor  of  their  hands,  to  retrieve 
their  fallen  fortunes.  It  was  while  thus  em- 
ploy ed  that  Elizabeth  met  her  future  hus- 
band in  the  person  of  a  continental  soldier. 
who  became  some  few  months  later  her 
companion  for  fifty-two  years  of  wedded 
felicity. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  the  mother 
of  thirteen  children,  four  boys  and  nine 
girls,  most  of  whom  are  living.  She  has 
bved  to  see  sons  occupy  honorable  stations 
in  the  government  she  had  seen  in  its  in- 
fancy struggling  for  independence,  and  like 
other  mothers  of  the  Revolution,  will  remain 
engraved  upon  the  metnorj  as  a  monument 
of  female  patriotism  and  greatness.  It 
would  be  well  for  the  girls  of  the  present 
day  to  read  this  sketch  and  profit  by  the  ex- 
ample of  this  departed  relic  of   the    Revolu- 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


67 


tion.  We  are  indebted  to  her  bou,  Hon. 
John  D.  Davison,  of  this  village,  for  many 
interesting  incidents  of  her  life,  which  we 
shall  publish  at  some  future  day.  Also  to 
Mrs.  Alvin  Hunt,  to  whose  able  pen  we  are 
mostly  indebted  for  this  interesting  sketch 
of  the  deceased. 

[The  narrative  is  interesting,  but  cannot 
bo  relied  upon  for  historical  accuracy,  as 
is  to  be  expected  when  it  be  remembered 
that  it  is  the  recollection  of  her  childhood 
days  by  a  woman  in  the  extremity  ot  age 
and  who  had  never  afterward  lived  among 
the  scenes  and  people  of  her  early  frontier 
home.  As  narrated  to  her  children  the  in- 
cidents would  naturally  be  magnified  by 
those  who  transcribe  them,  from  a  pardon- 
able desire  to  graphically  portray  the  diffi- 
culties through  which  she  had  passed.  Such 
family  traditions  are  always  interesting,  but 
must  be  taken  with  a  grain  of  allowance. 
For  example,  it  is  highly  improbable  that 
any  family  in  those  days  had  "arsenic,"  nor 
is  it  likely  that .  in  the  preparation  for  flight 
the  fugitive  would  have  been  cool  enough  to 
carry  a  supoly  of  salt  for  the  pet  heifer 
which  was  to  save  her  life.  Another  diffi- 
culty presents  itself  as  to  the  names.  That 
of  Davison  does  not  appear  anywhere  in  our 
local  histories.  Nor  does  that  of  Fitchet, 
though  Fitch  is  a  familiar  name.  The  refer- 
ence to  Col.  Butler  as  returning  with  a  force 
of  men,  dispersing  the  Indians  and  garrison- 
ing Fort  Wilkes- Barre,  is  also  a  confusion  of 
fact.  If  any  of  our  readers  are  in  possession 
of  information  that  will  throw  light  on  the 
families  mentioned  the>  will  confer  a  favor 
by  addressing  the  Recobd. — Editor.] 


In  Memory  of  Harrison  Wright. 

A  most  interesting  volume  has  just  been 
issued  by  the  Wyoming  Historical  and  Geo- 
logical Society,  the  third  in  the  "Proceed- 
ings and  Publications"  of  that  organization. 
It  is  a  pamphlet  of  128  pages  and  is  a 
memorial  to  the  late  Dr.  Harrison  Wright, 
its  recording  secretary, whose  death  occurred 
last  year.  The  book  is  given  an  additional 
value  by  the  insertion  of  an  admirable 
phototype  of  Dr.  Wright,  which  is  strikingly 
life-like.  About  half  of  the  contained  mat- 
ter is  taken  up  with  a  biographical  sketch  by 
George  B.  Kulp.  Esq.,  the  same  covering  the 
Wright  family  and  the  related  families  of 
Cist  and  Hollenback.  A  brief  review  of  the 
literary  work  of  deceased  is  given  by  Sheldon 
Reynolds,  who  was  probably  his  most  inti- 
mate confrere.  Other  contents  are  resolu- 
tions submitted  to  the  society  by  C.  Ben 
Johnson,  a  poem  by  D.  M.  Jones,  Esq.,  pro- 
ceedings of  the  Luzerne  County  Bar,  of  the 
Osterh  ut  Free  Library  and  the  Historical 
Society  of  Pennsylvania.  The  volume  is 
from  the  press  of  R.  Baur  &.  Son. 


THE  HERO  OF  WYOMING. 

Some  Incidents  in  the  Life  of  John  Frank- 
lin who  Took  an  Oath  Upon  the  Bleed- 
ing Form  of  )i is  Murdered  Friend  That 
he  Would  Never  lay  Down  his  Arms 
Till  the  Pennamites  Wore  Fxpelled 
From  Wyoming. 
At  the  last  meeting  of  the  Historical 
Society,  Mrs.  M.  L.  T.  Hartman,  of  Shick- 
shinny,  read  an  excellent  paper  on  the  early 
history  of  lower  Luzerne  County,  the  same 
having  been  prepared  for  presentation  at 
the  Luzerne  Centennial.  We  take  pleasure 
in  submitting  a  brief  synopsis,  Mrs.  Hart- 
man's  sketch  covering  the  event*  that  tran- 
spired in  tho  southwestern  part  of  the  county 
prior  to  its  erection  in  178t>.  Mention  was 
made  of  the  land  troubles  between  the 
Pennsylvania  government  and  the  Connecti- 
cut settlers.  The  latter  had  become  dis 
trustful  of  the  honesty  of  the  State 
authorities  by  reason  of  having  been 
imposed  upon  by  laws  passed  by 
interested  and  malicious  parties  in  the 
Assembly  and  which  had  been  enforced 
by  tyrants.  The  Connecticut  settlors  had 
possessed  and  cultivated  the  land,  acquired 
by  purchase  from  its  former  owners,  the  Six 
Nations,  had  built  homes  in  the  wilderness 
and  endured  toil  and  privation,  all  because 
they  had  full  faith  in  the  right  of  the  Con- 
necticut charter  to  hold  possession  for  them. 
Passing  over  the  early  troubles, 
arrests,  imprisonments,  persecutions, 
wrongs  and  revengeful  murders  per- 
petrated on  the  early  Yankee  settlers 
by  Patterson,  Armstrong  and  others, 
under  pretext  of  Pennsylvania  justice, 
mercy  and  truth,  Mrs.  Hartman  proceeded 
to  consider  John  Franklin.  He  was  a  repre- 
sentative Connecticut  Yankee,  the  first  white 
man  to  settle  in  the  southwestern  part  of 
Luzerne  County.  He  located  there  in  the 
spring  of  1775,  cleared  land,  built  a 
home  for  his  young  wife  and  chil- 
dren. Others  soon  joined  him  as  neigh- 
bors. Samuel  Trescott  (Mrs.  Hartman's 
great  grandfather)  was  surveyor  of  the  land. 
Col.  John  Franklin's  father, also  named  John 
was  committee  of  Huntington  appointed 
by  the  Susquehanna  Company.  The  senior 
John  Franklin  was  seldom  in  Huntington, 
but  his  son  and  namesake  was  his  authorized 
depnty.  About  1775  Nathan  Beach  and  some 
others  settled  in  Salem.  Elijah  Austin  occu- 
pied the  land  and  water  power  in  Shick- 
shmny,  and  the  families  of  Hunlock,  Blanch- 
ard  and  others  the  lands  about  the  mouth  of 
Hunloek's  Creek.  The  population  of  the 
region  increased.  A  saw  mill  was  built  at 
Shickshmny  by  Elijah  Austin,  who  brought 
the  metal  portions  from  Connecticut  on 
sleds  during  winter,  as  the  roads  were  too 
rough  and  bridgeless  to  be  traveled  with 
loads  at  other  seasons. 


OS 


the  Hia: 


'TCAL  HKCOlUh 


John  Franklin,  then  a  young  man  of  20 
(having  boon  born  in  1749  in  Litchfield, 
Conn.,)  was  regarded  asaleader.  He  was  one 
of  the  first  ',100  settler's  who  came  to  Wyoming 
in  the  spring  of  l?»'>!',  then  in  his  20th  year. 
He  was  probably  wiih  Stewart's  Rangers 
when  their  "Jiu/./a  for  George  the  Third" 
rang  loud  and  clear  over  the  sleeping  garri- 
son of  Pennamites  on  that  frosty  morning 
in  1.770,  when,  as  Dr.  Egle  relates,  the 
house  of  Lancaster  came  to  the  rescue  with 
the  returning  Yankees. 

John  Franklin  was  a  leader  in  every  enter- 
prise, and  as  a  civil  justice,  military  com- 
mander, legislator  or  general  counsellor  he 
was  kLOwn,  esteemed,  trusted  and  beloved 
and  might  weil  be  acknowledged  by  all  as  the 
hero  of  Huntington,  the  hero  of  "Wyoming 
and  one  of  the  heroes  of  the  world. 

In  1778  when  Wyoming  was  invaded  by 
the  combined  horde  of  Tories  and  Indians, 
Franklin  was  paptain  of  a  company  of  vol- 
unteers for  Huntington  and  Salem.  Lieut. 
Stoddard  Bowen,  ot  Salem,  pressed  on  with 
a  part  of  the  company  and  arrived  at  Forty 
Fort  in  time  to  participate  in  the  battle. 
He  was  killed,  also  Elias  and  David  Bi.xby 
(or  Bigsby),  Levi  Hicks  and  Job  Marshall, 
and  perhaps  others. 

Franklin's  detachment  arrived  too  late, 
exhausted  by  their  long  march  and  loss  of 
sleep  and  resr.  They  were  appointed  to  as- 
sist in  preparing  the  fort  for  surrender. 
Solon  Trescott,  (Mrs.  Hartman's  grand- 
father) his  elder  brother  Samuel,  Thomas 
Williams  and  some  other  Huntington  men, 
were  held  as  prisoners,  but  were  paroled  by 
John  Butler.  Soon  after  a  general  exodus 
of  the  people  took  place. 

Capt.  Franklin's  wife  died  of  small  pox  in 
Windsor,  Bucks  Co.,  Fa.,  in  So\ ember  fol- 
lowing. After  taking  his  motherless  chil- 
dren to  Connecticut  he  returned  to  the  deso- 
lated valley  to  assist  in  defending  those  in 
danger  and  to  punish  the  enemy. 

Huntington  is  proud  to  claim  such  a  man 
as  the  pioneer,  leader  and  friend  of  her 
people.  

Lie.utenaut  William  .Jones. 

The  account  in  the  Reco&d  of  the  Masonic 
burial  of  Capt.  Davis  and  Lieut.  William 
Jones,  who  were  killed  by  the  Indians  near 
Wyoming,  in  1770,  has  brought  out  some 
very  interesting  information.  We  are  in- 
formed by  Miss  Emily  I.  Alexander  that  the 
stone  which  now  marks  their  grave  was 
erected  by  George  M.  Hollenback  and  that 
she  remembers  distinctly  of  accompanying 
her  father  and  Mr.  Hollenback  to  the  old 
burying  ground  on  Market  Street  and  mak- 
ing a  search  for  the  original  stone.  She  re- 
members, though  only  a  child,  how  thf»sron« 
looked,  she  describing  it  ?is  of  rt-ci  mountain 
^tone  and  bearing,  in  addition  to  the  inscrip- 


tion, a  Manonic  symbol.  Mies  Alexander 
says  that  Mr.  Holler  back  remarked  that  he 
was  related  lo  Lieut.  Junes  and  would  erect 
a  marble  slab  to  replace  the  original  stone, 
which  had  become  very  much  defaced. 

The  dust  of  these  honored  dead  is  now 
buried  in  Hollenback  Cemetery,  not  many 
rods  to  the  north  of  the  entrance  and  in  a 
triangular  lot  owned  by  Lodge  <T,  A.  Y.  M., 
and  set  apart  for  these  two  graves  alone. 
The  marble  is  becoming  yellow  and  as  a  cor- 
respondent suggests,  should  be  replaced  by 
a  more  imposing  monument.  That  the 
grave  is  nol  neglected  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  it  is  beautified  by  a  thrifty  weeping 
willow,  a  holly  shrub  and  some  arbor  vitie 
bushes,  to  say  nothing  of  the  liags  which  are 
placed  upon  it  by  loving  hands  every  Decora- 
tion Day  and  which  flutter  as  long  as  a  shred 
is  left  by  the  windswhich  sweep  over  the  hills. 

A  conversation  with  Mr.  Edward  Welles 
has  elicited  the  following  note: 

Editob  Recoed:  This  youug  oflicer  was, 
I  believe,  a  nephew,  certainly  a  noar  rela- 
tive, of  Mrs.  Eleanor  Jones  Hollenback, 
mother  of  Matthias  Hollenback,  of  Wilkes- 
Barre,  and  wife  of  John  Hollenback,  of 
Lebanon,  near  Jonestown.  He  was  one  of 
the  officers  in  Major  Lowell's  detachment 
sent  on  in  advance  of  Sullivan's  army,  on 
its  way  to  the  Susquehanna  in  the  month  of 
April.  1779:  and  was  one  of  several  men 
slain  in  an  ambush  near  Laurel  Run.  The 
following  is  a  copy  from  the  original  epi- 
taph on  his  tombstone,  now  gone  into  de- 
cay: taken  from  the  old  brown  stone  then 
lying  in  the  Hollenback  cemetery,  in  the 
month  of  October,  1868: 

In    memory     of 

Capt.  J.  Davis 

of  the  11th  Penna.  Regt. 

also 

Lieut.  William  Jones 

who  were  massacred  by  the  savages 

on  their  march  to  the  relief  of 

the  distressed  inhabitants  of  Wyoming 

April  23,  1779. 

Erected  bj  the   Brotherhood 

July  25,  the  same  year. 

The  inscription  upon  the  original  stone 
has  been  copied  in  the  present  one,  except 
that  the  last  two  lines  are  replaced  by  the 
words  "Erected  by  a  friend." 

You  will  observe  that  the  date  given  in  the 
extract  from  the  Providence  f  R.  I.)  Gazette 
of  Sept.  18,  177H,  for  the  ceremony  of  rein- 
terring  the  two  officers,  Davis  and  Jones, 
does  not  record  with  that  given  on  the  tomb- 
stone, erected  at  the  time,  the  latter  being 
July  25,  and  the  former  July  28.  If  you 
have  a  perpetunl  calendar,  yon  may  find 
which  is  the  correct  date,  a*  the  newspaper 
account  gives  the  day  of  the  areek    as   being 


THE  HISTORICAL  KJSCORD. 


Tuesday.  What  you  want  is  to  find  out 
whether  that  day  of  the  week  fell  upon  the 
;i5th  or  the  28th  of  the  month.  [There 
KCpms  to  be  considerable  confusion  as  to  the 
date.-  The  newspaper  item  already  alluded 
to  says  the  funeral  occurred  on  Tuesday,  the 
',i&th,  whereas,  Tuesday  fell  upon  the  27th. 
(Jan  Stryker's  sketch  of  the  Sullivan  expedi- 
tion, gives  still  another  date,  July29,thoagh 
without  specifying  the  day  of  the  week. — 
Editor.  | 

The  present  tombstone  was  erected  by  the 
lateG.M.  Hollehhack,  Esq.,  when  the  original 
had  become  much  dilapidated.  The  latter  is 
said  to  have  been  buried  in  the  same  lot  in 
Hollenback  Cemetery,  where  the  remains  of 
Messrs.  Davis  and  Jones  were  reinterred,  as 
described  by  your  correspondent,  W.  J. 

Ought  not  a  granite  monument  to  be 
erected  over  the  graves  of  those  two  men,  in 
Hollenback  Cemetery?  w. 

Nov.  20,  1886. 


An    Old  Poem  on  Ireland. 

[The  Easton  papers  publish  the  following 
lines,  written  at  Berwick  by  Rev.  James 
Lewers,  immediately  after  the  passage  in 
the  year  1829  of  the  Act  of  "Catholic  Eman- 
cipation," and  now  at  thi- interesting  period 
of  Ireland's  history,  reproduced  from  mem- 
ory by  the  writer's  brother,  Dixon  Lewers, 
formerly  of  Wilkes-Barre,  now  a  resident 
Of  Easton:] 
When  '  freedom  came  down  from  the  skies  with 

a  smile, 
And    flew    round  in    triumph  unfettering  the 

nations, 
Ah,  say,  could  she  pass  by  the  Emerald  lele 

And  beam  not  a  glance  of  her  dark  desolation? 
The  land  that  contains   our  Emmett's  remains 
Could    she    leave    it   forever   in    darkness   and 

chains  ?  [sea. 

No  !    List  to  the  voice  that  sounds  loud  o'er  the 
Tis  liberty  speaks  and  our  country  is  free. 

"Oh,  land  of  the  west,"  cried  the  spirit  of  light 
As  on  Ulster's  green   mountains  at  last  she  de- 
scended, [night, 

"Have  T  left    thee  to    groan    beneath  slavery's 
Thy   tears  still    unnoticed,  thy    claims    unde- 
fended ? 

Dear  isle  that  has  been  in  rny  battles  still  seen 

With  thy  bright,  flashing  sword  and  thy  standard 
of  green: 

Have  I  left  thee  in  bondage  to  weep  o'er  the  sea  ? 

Rise  !    Erin  Mavourneen  '  arise  an>   be  free.'' 

"(  an  the  days  of  thy  Ullin  be  ever  forgot, 
The  proud  plume  of  war  and  love's  eye  softly 
beaming  ? 

Or   thy    Brian    the   Brave     in    rav    battles  that 
fought 
Neath   the  harp    woven  standard  victoriously 
streaming, 

Or   that  shout     round  the   shore  that  the  ocean 
breeze  bore 

On  Clontarf  when  the  Norse-man  lay  stretched  in 
his  gore. 

Arise  !  Let  the  nation?  the  bright  record  see 

And  ask  the  proud  world  why  thou   should'st  not 
De  free."' 


When   Hciwicu  was  Founded. 

Editor  Recobd:  1  notice  in  No.  2,  page 
38,  of  the  Historical  Record,  the  letter  of  the 
Hon.  Steuben  Jenkins  in  relation  to  the 
founding  of  Berwick,  in  which  he  quote4- 
froui  a  letter  of  Thomas  Cooper,  giving  the 
date  of  settlement  ot  Berwick  as  of  tin:  LOch 
of  Ma> ,  1787.  He  closes  with  the  remark: 
"Jt  would  seem  to  be  satisfactory  evidence 
of  the  time  when  the  town  of  Berwick  was 
laid  out." 

The  indications  are  that  Berwick  wa-  laid 
out  earlier  than  the  date  given  above.  'J  irao- 
thy  Pickering,  in  a  letter  to  Gen.  Muhlen- 
burg,  bearing  date  of  Philadelphia,  April  5, 
1787,  says: 

''That  application  should  be  made  to  Coun- 
cil to  appoint  Evan  Owen  a  Commissioner 
to  explore,  survey  and  make  the  best  route 
for  the  road,  and  that  Jacob  Weiss  should 
contract  to  open  it  so  as  to  render  it  lit  for 
passing  wagons  carrying  a  ton 
weight.  This  proposal  I  made  on  this  prin- 
ciple— That  persons  interested  in  having  the 
shortest  and  best  road  cat  would  be  the 
fittest  to  be  employed  to  execute  the  work. 
Mr.  Owen  is  an  intelligent  man  and  (I  find 
on  inquiry)  a  man  on  whom  the  public  may 
repose  great  confidence.  He  owns  a  tract 
of  land  opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Nesco- 
peck,  which  lie  has  laid  out  into  lots 
for  a  town,  and  has  no  intermediate  in- 
terest." 

The  letter  is  too  long  to  produce  here,  but 
enough  has  been  given  to  show  that  Ber- 
wick was  laid  out  before  April  5,  1767,  and 
when  we  bear  in  mind  that  Pickering  wrote 
this  in  Philadelphia,  it  is  fair  to  presume 
from  the  fame  of  the  town  having  reached 
there  as  early  as  April  5,  1767,  that  it  must 
have  been  laid  out  at  least  some  months 
before    that  date. 

C.    F.  Hill. 

Hazleton,  Pa..  Dec.  13,  1886. 


The  First  Forty  of  Kingston. 

After  the  treaty  at  Port  Stanwix,  in  176S, 
had  quieted  the  troubles  with  the  Six  Na- 
tions, the  Susquehanna  Company  decided, 
at  a  meeting  held  at  Hartford  Dec.  28. 
1768,  to  settle  the  much  coveted  lands  at 
Wyoming.  It  was  determined  to  lay  out 
five  townships,  to  be  settled  by  the  tir-t  ot 
February  thereafter,  the  first  to  have  40  set- 
tlers, each  of  the  others  to  have  50.  Each 
township  was  to  be  five  miles  square.  The 
committee  named  the  first  township  Kings- 
ton. The  others  were  named  Wilkes-Bar  e, 
Pittston,  Plymouth  and  Hanover,  in  this 
order.  Three  full  shares  in  each  township 
were  devoted  to  religion,  education  and 
charity  .These  townships  were  afterwards  c  di- 
ed Hanover,  Plymouth,  Kingston,  Wilkes- 
Barre  and  Pittston.  Upon  the  arrival  of  the 
first  40  from   Connecticut,  they  found  the 


70 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


valley  already  occupied  by  representatives 
of  the  proprietary  government  of  Fcnnsyl 
vania,  who  were  authorized  to  lav  out  two 
manors,  one  on  either  side  of  the  Susque- 
hanna, the  Manor  of  Stoke  and  the  Manor 
of  Bun  bury.  They  we^e  given  leases  on 
tracts  of  hind,  were  to  establish  a  trading 
post  with  the  Indian?,  euconrage  immigra- 
tion and  expel  intruders,  the  latter  term,  of 
course,  applying  to  settlers  from  Connecti- 
cut. When  the  first  40  arrived  they  found 
the  Pennsylvanians  located  at  the  mouth 
of  Mill  Creek,  in  buildings  which  had  been 
erected  six  years  before  by  the  Connecticut 
people  whom  the  Indians  had  murdered 
or  expelled.  Finding  the  enemy  in  posses- 
sion the  Connecticut  40.  who  arrived  in 
February,  1709,  constructed  a  stockade 
across  the  river  and  named  it  for  their 
number,  Forty  Fort.  A  little  later  it  was 
determined  to  expel  the  Pennamites  and 
they  accordingly  surrounded  the  blockhouse 
and  demanded  a  surrender,  in  the  name  of 
Connecticut.  Their  demand  was  met  with  a 
request  for  a  conference,  and  the  Connecti- 
cut men.  unsuspicious  of  treachery  sent 
Messrs.  Tripp,  Elderkin  and  Follett  into  the 
blockhouse.  They  were  immediately  seized 
and  taken  to  the  Easton  jail,  their  37  asso- 
ciates accompanying  of  their  own  accord. 
They  were  immediately  bailed  out,  returned 
to  Wyoming  and  inaugurated  the  famous 
"Pennamite  and  Yankee  War,"  which  con- 
tinued for  thirty  years,  it  terrupted  in  part 
only  by  the  Revolutionary  War.  Mr.  Jen- 
kins is  authority  for  the  statement  that  the 
Pennamites  undoubtedly  instigated  the  at- 
tack on  Wroming  to  clean  out  the  tettlers 
and  get  possession  of  the  lands. 

The  following  list  of  the  first  40  settlers  is 
from  the  MSS.  collection  of  Hon.  Steuben 
Jenkins  of   Wyoming: 

A  list  of  the  Proprietors  or  first  Forty  of 
Kingston: 

Isaac  Tripp, 
Benjamin  Follet, 
Zebulon  Butler, 
Thomas  Dyer. 
Nathaniel  Wales, 

Committee. 
Samuel  Gaylord, 
Joseph  Frink, 
Stephen  Harding, 
Stephen  Jenkins, 
Ezra  Belding, 
Timothy  Smith, 
Thomas  Bennett, 
Elijah  Shoemaker. 
Peter  Harris, 


Benjamin  Shumaker, 
Stephen  Gardner, 
John  Jenkins, 
Viue  Elderkin, 
William  Buck, 


Andrew  Metcalf, 

Simeon  Draper, 

Reuben  Davis, 

Asahel  Atherton, 

Joshua  Hall, 

Richard  Brockway 

Timothy  Pierce, 

Jonathan  Dean, 

John  Comstock, 

Theophilus  Westover,  Parshal  Terry, 

Silas  Bingham,  Elijah  Buck, 

Oliver  Smith,  Nathan  Denison 

Cyprian  Lathrop. 


accepted 
accepted 
accepted 
accepted 


On  Vine  Elderkiu's  right,  accepted  Isaac 
Warner. 

On  Joshua  Hall's  right,  accepted  John 
Perkins. 

On  Peter  Harris'  right,  accepted  Elijah 
Harris. 

On   Nathan    Walsworth's  rigid, 
Joseph  Walter. 

On   Allen    Wightman's      right, 
Douglass  Woodworth. 

On     Cyprian    Lathrop's    right. 
Palmer  Jenkins. 

On     Stephen    Harding's    right, 
Israel  Jones. 

On  Henry  Dow  Tripp's. 

Timothy  Peirce,  occupied  by  John  Peirce. 

Asahel  Atherton,  accepted  James  Ather- 
ton. 

Samuel  Gaylord,  accepted  Timothy  Gay- 
lord. 

The  above  is  a  true  list  or  roll  of  the  Forty 
first  settlers  on  the  West  Side  of  the  Eastern- 
most Branch  of  Susquehanna  River  as  I  was 
ordered  By  the  Committee  to  Return  ye 
same  to  Maj.  Dorkee,  President  at  Wilkes- 
Barry.        Test. 

Akdbew  Metcalf,  clerk  to  said  forty. 

June  ye  28,  1770. 

[Note  by  S.  J.:  The  names  of  Nathan 
Walsworth,  Allen  Wightman,  Elias  Roberts, 
Zerrubbable  Jerroms,  Henry  Dow  Tripp 
were  erased  by  two  lines  being  drawn  across 
them.  Their  names,  so  far  as  they  appear 
again,  are  given  above.] 


Forty-five  years  ago  the  old  stage  driven 
by  Alex,  and  George  Kenner,  ran  up  one  day 
from  Wilkes-Barre  to  Carbondale  and  duwn 
the  next,  carrying  at  no  time  more  than  half 
a  dozen  passengers.  Now  six  first-class 
passenger  trains  run  daily  between  Scranton 
and  Carbondale  well  filled.  vVhat  a  change! 
— Scranton  Republican. 

That  recalls  a  remark  made  by  Hon.  Victor 
E.  Piollet  in  a  speech  at  the  recent  opening 
of  the  Lehigh  Valley  RR.  Co.'s  Vosburg 
Tunnel.  He  said  that  when  Asa  Packer  was 
projecting  the  road  the  objection  was  made 
that  there  was  a  canal  which  was  sufficient 
to  carry  all  the  coal  from  the  Wyoming 
Valley  and  a  stage  line  from  Wilkes-Barre 
to  Philadelphia  which  was  ample  to  carry  all 
the  passengers  who  wanted  to  go — therefore 
what  hope  could  there  be  that  an  expensive 
thing  like  a  railroad  could  be  maintained! 
To-day  the  Lehigh  Valley  has  19  passenger 
trains  daily  leaving  its  magnificent  station 
in  Wilkes-Barre,  to  say  nothing  of  the  freight 
and  coal  trains. 

In  1782,  Mary  Pritchard  was  fined  five 
shillings  for  going  away  from  her  residence 
unnecessarily  on  the  Sabbath  day. 


THE.  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


71 


THE  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


Mm.  M.  !>.  T,  Hartman  Reads  a   Paper  on 

Lower    Luzerne-A    Map  of   Sullivan's 
Campaign   Presented— Other    Valuable 

Donations. 

The  quarterly  meeting  of  tl,e  Wyoming 
Historical  and  Geological  Society,  was  held 
December  10,  Judge  Dana  presiding,  and  the 
following  ladies  and  gentlemen,  among 
other*,  being  in  attendance: 

Judge  Loop,  C.  Parsons,  0.  A.  Parsons, 
S.  Reynolds,  0.  C.  Hillard,  Hon.  C.  D. 
and  Mrs.  Foster,  Miss  Emily  Alexander,  Miss 
McClintock,  M.  H.  Post,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Ing- 
ham, G.  H.  Butler,  Charles  J.  Long,  Frank 
Phelps,  R.  Sharpe,  W.  S.  Monroe,  Rev.  H. 
G.  Miller,  G.  R.  Bedford,  Hon.  J.  R.  Wright, 
John  Roichard,  Edward  Welles,  Miss  Geral- 
dine  Culver,  J.  E.  Patterson,  C  Morgan, 
Jr.,  W.  H.  and  Mrs.  Brown,  P.  C.  Johnson. 

Secretary  J.  Ridgway  Wright  read  the 
minutes  as  also  from  the  Recced  the  account 
of  the  adjourned  meeting  of  the  society  held 
in  the  court  house  on  the  occasion  of  the 
celebration  of  the  centennial  of  Luzerne 
County. 

A  long  list  of  contributions  were  ac- 
knowledged, among  them  the  following: 

Cabinet— Indian  implements,  thong  dress- 
er, nammer  stone,  pitted  stone.  Sheldon 
Reynolds;  arrow  and  spear  points,  H.  C. 
Wilson,  Mt.  Vernon,  0.;  Trinidad  asphalt, 
Dr.  C.  F.  Ingham:  Brinton  Coxe,  old  prints. 

Library— Rev.  C.  B.  Bradee,  Lyman  H. 
Lowe,  Ron.  J.  A.  Scranton,  Commissioners 
of  State  Survey,  American  Museum  of 
Natural  History,  C.  J.  Hoadiey,  F.  C.  John- 
son, Col.  Reynolds,  Hon.  E.  L.  Dana,  Essex 
Institute,  American  Geographical  Society, 
New  Jersey  Historical  Society,  Record  ex- 
changes containing  historical  articles,  John 
S.  McGroarty,  A.  E.  Foote.  Laurence 
Francis  Flick,  Ed.  Ruch,  H.  H.  Har- 
vey, Kansas  Historical  Society,  Ameri- 
can Catholic  Historical  Society, 
Newport  Historical  Society,  Win.  J.  Back, 
Glasgow  Archaeological  Society,  Australian 
Museum,  E.  F.  Duren,  Smithsonian  Institu- 
tion, Canadian  Institute,  Hon.  Steuben  Jen- 
kins, G.  B.  Kulp,  Public  Opinion,  Science, 
Will  S.  Monroe,  Rhode  Island  Hi-toricai 
Society.  Library  Bureau,  W.  P.  Ryman,  W. 
P.  Miner,  Royal  Academy  of  Hi=tory  Belles 
Lettres  and  Antiquity,  Sweden,  and  the  sev- 
eral government  publications,  of  which  the 
society's  library  is  a  depository. 

Among  the  publications  of  interest  was  a 
catalogue  of  autographs  belonging  to  estate 
of  the  late  Lewis  J.  Cist,  Vol.  13  of  the 
Colonial  Records  of  Connecticut,  pamphlet 
on  Indian  methods  of  arrow  release.  "Hu- 
guenots on  the  Hackensack,"  description  of 
the  Frances  Slocum  relics,  Back's  "Hist  >ry 
of  the  Indiau    Walk,"    Historical   Record, 


"Jenkins  Family  of  Rhode  Island,"  pam- 
phlet on  cannibalism  among  American  In- 
dians (by  Gen.  C.  W.  Darling,  Utica,  N.  Y. ), 
a  newspaper  published  by  the  Ojibway  In- 
dians. 

The  contributions  of  Brinton  Coxe,  Esq., 
president  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Penn- 
sylvania, include  the  following:  Facsimile 
of  an  authentic  silhouette  ot  Washington, 
lifo  size;  ordinal  political  caricature  pub- 
lished in  1774,  relating  to  throwing  the  tea 
overboard  in  Boston  harbor;  fac  simile  of 
the  first  royal  proclamation  relating  to  Penn- 
sylvania, April  2,  1681;  an  old  broadside  of 
1788:  "observations  by  the  committee  of  the 
landholders  on  the  utility  and  importance  of 
the  roads  proposed  to  be  laid  open  in  North- 
ampton and  Luzerne,"  from  the  papers  of 
Tench  Coxe,  one  of  the  Philadelphia  com- 
mittee. 

Judge  Dana  spoke  of  a  brief  correspond- 
ence with  Gen.  John  S.  Clarke,  of  Auburn, N. 
Y.,  relation  to  the  old  Sullivan  Road.  Gen. 
Clark  informed  the  society  of  some  inter- 
esting details  of  the  route  in  the  Wyoming 
region,  and  offered  to  furnish  a  copy  of  a 
pamphlet  on  the  subject  at  a  sbght  expense. 
Gen.  Clarke  referred  also  to  the  death  of 
Joues  and  Davis  on  the  road  near  Laurel 
Run.  His  letter  was  accompanied  by  a  fac 
simile  map  of  the  route  of  Gen.  Sullivan's 
army  from  Easton  to  a  point  20  miles  above 
Wilkes-Barre,  Buttermilk  Falls.  The 
map  was  mado  by  one  of  Sullivau's 
officers,  Lieut.  Lodge,  and  gives  considerable 
detail  as  to  streams,  mountains,  settlements, 
etc.  It  is  copied  from  the  archives  of  the 
New  YTork  Historical  Society  and  is  one  of 
a  series  of  five  maps  covering  the  entire 
route  of  the  Sullivan  expedition.  They  will 
be  reproduced  by  the  State  of  New  York  and 
5,000  copies  printed  to  accompany  the 
history  ot  the  Sullivan  campaign  now  being 
prepared  in  minute  detail  at  the  expense  of 
the  Commonwealth  of  New  York. 

The  following  gentlemen  were  elected  to 
membership:  Resident.  Joseph  D.  Coons. 
Edwin  Shortz,  Rev.  W.  F.  Watkins,  Jr.  Cor- 
responding, Col.  J.  A.  Price,  W.  A.  Wilcox, 
Scranton;  Dr.  D.  G.  Brinton.  Win.  A.  Dar- 
lington, Philadelphia:  Gen.  C.  W.  Darling, 
Utica,  N.  Y.:  Dr.  Walter  J.  Hoffman,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. 

At  this  point  Mrs.  Hartman  read  an  admir- 
able paper  on  the  Huutington  Valley  portion 
of  Luzerne  County.  It  was  a  patriotic  tri- 
bute to  John  Franklin,  who  figured  so  pro- 
miuentlj  in  Wyoming  history,  of  which  we 
give  a  synopsis  on  page  67  of  this  issue. 
Mrs.  Hartman  also  gave  some  statis- 
tics as  to  the  agricultural  and  other  re- 
sources of  Huntington,  together  with  an  ex- 
cellent poem  of  her  own  composition.  Upon 
taking  her  seat  Mrs.  Hartman  was  warmly 
applauded  and  a  vote  of  thanks  paseed. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Dr.  Ingham  offered  a  resolution  that  a 
committee  be  appointed  to  consult  I  in  con- 
junction with  the  trustees;  with  the  trustees 
of  the  proposed  Osterhont  building,  with 
reference  to  the  quarters  that  are  intended 
to  be  provided  in  that  building  for  the  His- 
torical Society.  The  chair  appointed  Calvin 
Parsons,  Edward  Welles  and  William  P. 
Miner. 

Judge  Dana,  as  meteorologist  of  the  city, 
submitted  a  detailed  report  for  the  last  three 
months.  In  September  the  average  temper- 
ature was  65,  as  compared  with  60  in  1885 
and  06.7  in  18S6.  The  rain  fall  was  -1  48 
inches,  as  compared  with  1.24  inches  in  1885 
and  1.(56  inches  in  1884. 

October,  average  temperature  52,  50  in 
1885  and  535  in  1884.  Rain  fall  2  06 
inches  in  1886,  4.45  in  1885  and  8.44  in 
1S84. 

November,  average  temperature  35,  40  in 
1885  and  35k'  in  1884.  Rain  fall  5.84 
inches  in  1886,  5.22  in  1885  and  3.28  in 
1884. 

These  figures  show  the  present  year  (Sept., 
Oct.  and  Nov.)  to  have  been  much  wetter 
than  its  two  predecessors,  the  Lgures  beintr 
13.28  inches  in  1886,  10.01  in  1885  and  8.38 
in  1884. 

Adjournment  was  than  had  until  the  an- 
nual meeting  in  February.  Many  of  the 
visitors  remained  and  inspected  the  map  of 
the  Sullivan  Road  and  the  several  contribu- 
tions. 


JEarIy  .Days  in  "Wayne    County. 

A  new  history  of  Wayne  County  is  being 
published.  The  Honesdale  Herald  gives 
some  gleanings  therefrom,  a  few  of  which 
we  copy  as  being  of  local  interest: 

Daniel  Skinner  and  others  were  the  pio- 
neer white  settlers  in  Wayne  County, 
settling  at  Cochecton  in  1757. 

The  first  road  opened  through  Wayne 
County  was  cut  1762  by  the  Connecticut 
settlers  going  to  Wyoming.  The  second  was 
the  old  North  and  South  road,  extending 
through  our  western  townships  from  Mon- 
roe County  to  the  north  line  of  the  State. 
The  former  was  opened  in  1762  and  the  lat- 
ter in  1788. 

Dr.  Lewis  Collins,  of  Cherry  Ridge,  was 
Wayne's  first  resident  physician.  He  was 
born  in  Connecticut  in  1753  and  died  at 
Cherry  Ridge  in  1818. 

Ebenezer  Kingsbury.  Jr..  from  1883  to 
1840  proprietor  of  the  Wayne  County  Herald, 
was  State  Senator  from  l£88  to  1842:  How- 
kin  B.  Beardslee.  another  of  its  editors,  was 
Senator  from  180->  to  1868.  Thomas  J. 
Hub  bell,  another  editor,  and  H.  B.  Beardslee 
were  both  members  of  ihe  Legislature:  and 
Warren  J.  Woodward,  still  another,  was  sub- 
sequently a  Judge    f  the  Supremo  Court. 


Col.  Shiii.    Hunter  on  th<-  Situation. 

I  The  writer  of  the  following  letter  was 
Col.  Samuel  Hunter  of  Northumberland 
County,  and  the  reference  to  the  Wyoming 
people  induces  me  to  rend  it  forward  for  the 
IiisTOitrcAL  Record.  Col.  Hunter  was  a 
notable  man.,  He  resided  on  the  site  of  Fort 
Augusta  (Sunbury.)  which  he  owned:  was 
justice  of  the  peac^,  Member  of  Assembly 
prior  to  the  Revolution,  colonel  of  one  of 
the  Northumberland  County  associated  bat- 
talions, and  county  lieutenant  duriug  the 
trying  days  of  the  struggle  for  independ- 
ence. He  died  in  1784.  The  letter  p.as  to 
"Mr.  Owen  Biddle.  Merchant,  Philadel- 
phia."    W.  H.  B.] 

Fort  Augusta,  16th  October  1775 

Sir:  As  I  came  to  Lancaster  I  was  inform- 
ed the  situation  our  County  was  in  for  want 
of  Ammunition,  which  made  me  aply  to  the 
Committee  of  Lancaster  County  for  three 
Hundret  w't  of  Gun  Towder  and  nine  Hun- 
dred w't  of  Lead,  and  so  far  prevail'd  on 
them  to  let  me  have  the  above  Quantity,  by 
Giwing  them  an  Order  on  the  Committee  of 
Safety  tor  the  Province,  to  allow  them  so 
much  out  of  the  Quantity  alow'd  for  the 
County  Northumberland.  What indused  me 
to  give  such  an  Order  was  what  you  told  me 
that  evening  1  left  Town,  that  you  thought 
Our  County  should  have  some  Ammunition, 
and  I  think  there  is  no  time  we  stand  more 
in  need  of  the  like,  when  our  Properties  is 
invaded  by  a  diferent  Colony,  Especially  at 
these  times  of  General  Calamity.  When  we 
should  unite  as  one  in  the  General  cause  of 
liberty. 

I  am  S'r 

your  most  Obed't  Humble  Serv't 

To  Owen  Biddle.  Sam'l  Hunteb 


The   Historical  liecord. 

In  a  letter  from  Caleb  E.  Wright,  E-q., 
Doylestown,  formerly  of  Wilkos-Barre,  that 
gentleman  writes:  "I  like  your  monthly. 
Such  a  publication  was  needed  and  should 
have  been  started  at  an  earlier  date.  Send 
me  all  the  numbers  as  I  desire  to  bind 
them." 

Mr.  C.  F.  Hill  writes  from  Hazleton: 
''Send  me  Nos.  1  and  2,  as  I  intend  to  pre- 
serve and  bind  them,  and  I  want  the  work 
complete.  1  hope  you  will  give  the  Histori- 
cal Record  your  best  attention  and  push  it. 
There  is  a  world  of  unpublished  history  of 
the  Revolutionary  frontier  of  Pennsylvania 
which  included  the  North  and  West  Branches 
of  the  Susquehanna  River,  aud  every  citizen 
in  this  terribly  scourged  frontier  is  interest- 
ed  in  its  early  history,  much  of  which  now 
lives  only  in  tradition.  I  am  preparing 
some  history  for  the  KliCOKD,  much  of  which 
has  uoi'iT  appeared  in  print  and  will  for- 
ward as  so"ii  as  1  can  verify  certain  matters 
as  to  names  aud  dates." 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Td 


Indian  Name  of  Uuulock's  Creek. 

The  following  recently  discovered  scrap  of 
history  which  has  come  into  my  hands  as 
secretary  of  the  Wyoming  Commemorative 
Association,  is  thought  to  be  worthy  of  a 
I>1  ace  in  the  Record:       / 

"Whereas,  Jonathan  Hud  lock,  one  of  ye 
proprietors  ot  ye  Susquehanna  Purchase,has 
been  hero  with  a  complaint,  and  ^ays  he  is  a 
Proprietor  in  ye  Susquehanna  Purchase, 
and  he  made  a  pitch  in  said  purchase  at  a 
place  called  by  ye  name  of  Mossacota,  down 
ye  river,  abont  three  miles  from  Nanticook 
faivls,  down  ye  river,  and  on  ye  west  side  of 
ye  East  Brauch  of  ye  Susquehanna,  etc." 

The  formal  parts  of  this  ancient  document, 
dated  April  o,  177L  which  confirms  the  said 
Jonathan  Hunlock  in  the  possession  of  his 
"pitch,"  and  is  signed  by  a  committee  of 
settlers,  we  omit.  From  the  foregoing  it 
appears  that  the  Indian  name  of  the  stream 
now  called  Hunlock's  Creek,  was  Mossacota. 
This  is  h  euphonious  and  pretty  name,  and 
its  restoration  as  the  name  of  that  whirling, 
leaping,  dashing  mountain  tributary  would 
be  approved  by  all  lovers  of  the  beautiful  in 
nomenclature  as  well  as  in  more  solid  mat- 
ter.    w.  J. 

The  Texas  JJomain. 

Editor  Record:  History  to  be  of  any  real 
value  should  be  correct  in  details.  I  have 
just  been  reading  an  article  in  No.  3  of  your 
interesting  collection  of  historical  matter, 
entitled  "How  we  acquired  our  Domain." 
Among  other  things,  the  article  in  dealing 
with  the  subject  of  the  Texas  domain,  says 
that  after  the  admission  of  that  State  into 
the  Union,  "Texas  was  bankrupt,  and  for 
the  public  lands  we  got  from  her,  sixteen 
millions'  dollars  of  her  debts  were  paid  by 
this  country." 

This  is  a  mistake.  The  United  States 
Government  did  not  acquire  one  acre  of 
land  by  way  of  dowry,  when  we  received 
the  young  "Lone  Star"  Republic  into  the 
sisterhood  of  States.  The  sixteen  million 
dollars  incumbrance  was  assumed  by  the 
general  government,  but  Texas  still 
held  all  her  vast  domain  from 
the  rich  cotton  plantations  on  the  lower 
Brazos  and  Colorado  to  the  Cross  Timbers 
and  Great  Buffalo  range  on  the  west  to  Rio 
Grande  del  Norte.  The  public  lands  of 
TexMg  were  all  sold  by  the  State  and  not  by 
the  United  States,  and  the  proceeds  of  such 
sales  went  into  the  State  Treasury,  what 
littlo  there  may  have  been  left  after  paying 
expenses  of  issuing  land  scrip  which  was 
sold  in  great  measure  to  speculators  and 
land-grabbers  as  low  as  twenty  cents  an 
acre. 


IIAZI.IOTON'S  CKNTENJN  1  At,. 
A  Short  History  «f  Things    Pertaining  to 
the     Location  of    Koatls   and    Other  Xn- 
terohl in;;  Facts. 

The  Hazleton  Sentinel  prints  the  following 
interesting  communication,  which  we  pre- 
sume is  from  the  pen  of  Charles  F.  Hill: 

Hazleton  has  a  Centennial  on  hand  which 
it  is  in  duty  bound  to  obse«ve.  L^ss  than 
one  hundred  jears  ago  Hazleton  and  its  sur- 
rounding- was  a  howling  wilderness  with 
nothing  but  a  few  Indian  paths  through  its 
solitary  wilds.  The  paths  originally  led 
from  the  Lehigh  Gap  across  this  mountain 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Nescopeck,  a  branch 
from  this  Nescopeck  path  from  about  Beaver 
Meadow  led  to  the  Wyoming 
region.  The  first  organized  ef- 
fort to  break  through  this  wilder- 
ness was  an  act  of  assembly  dated  March 
29,  1787,  which  resulted  in  opening  the  first 
turnpike  road,  which  was  done  by  Evan 
Owen,  the  founder  of  thetovn  of  Berwick. 
The  road  was  strongly  advocated  by  Timothy 
Pickering,  Esq.,  and  by  Gen.  Muhlenburg, 
and  also  by  the  Philadelphia  Co.  for  pro- 
moting manufactures  and  the  useful  arts  in 
the  town  Berwick,  upon  the  Susquehanna,  as 
you  will  see  by  the  following  communication 
of  company  named: 

To  the  Honorable  Committee  of  the  Supreme 
Executice  Council  of  the  Commonwealth 
of  Pennsylvania  appointed  for  the  special 
purpose  of  considering  what  future  roads 
may  be  Nccesseiri/  to  be  Opened,  etc.,  in 
said  Commonwealth. 

May  it  Please  Your  Honors: 

The  subscribers  beg  leave  to  mention  to 
you  the  propriety  of  opening  a  road  from  or 
near  Leonard  Balliard's  house  in  Mahanoy 
Valley,  about  71  miles  from  Philadelphia 
into  the  road  directed  to  be  opened 
by  an  Act  of  the  Honorable  the 
Legislature,  passed  the  29th  day  of  March, 
1786,  which  1  ads  to  the  falls  ot  the  Nesco- 
peck in  the  river  Susquehanna.  The  advan- 
tages attending  this  proposed  road  would  be 
very  considerable  to  the  inhabitants  settled 
in  the  counties  of  Northumberland  and 
Luzerne  in  particular,  but  to  the  State  in 
general,  many  of  whom  have  a  circuitous 
route  of  two  hundred  miles,  who 
would  then  have  no  more  than  half 
that  distance  to  brine:  their  produce  to 
this  market?  which  undoubtedly  would  be 
mutually  ad  antageous  to  the  city  and  sev- 
eral of  the  counties.  The  said  road  would 
secure  to  a  respectable  part  of  the  State  the 
advantages  of  the  Philadelphia  market  with 
considerable  convenience.  The  distance 
necessary  to  be  opened  would  be  about 
18  or  20  miles,  and  at  present  the  views 
of     the    legislature  in     the  opening  of  the 


74 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Nescopeck  road  must  be  f rostrated  unless 
this  prayer  should  bo  granted,  and  was  de- 
signed to  have  boon  carried  to  the  Water 
Navigation  of  the  river  Lehi,  bat  as  the 
commissioner  who  was  appointed  in  pur- 
f nance  of  the  said  Act  had  it  then  not  in 
his  power  to  open  it  to  the  said  communi- 
cation, tho  views  of  the  legislature  in  con- 
sequence are  rendered  in  some  means 
abortive,  or  at  least  are  not  attended  with 
advantages  thereby  designed.  This  addi- 
tion thereto  your  petitioners  humbly  con- 
ceive would  perfect  the  intentions  which  the 
wisdom  of  the  honorable  legislature  meant 
to  carry  into  effect.  We  take  the  liberty  of 
mentioning  that  there  rs  a  company  estab- 
lished in  this  plan  nominated  "The  Phila- 
delphia Company  for  Promoting  Manufac- 
turers and  the  useful  Arts  in  the  Town  of 
Berwick  upon  the  Susquehanna,"  the  view 
of  which  are  to  promote  the  inter- 
coo  rse  of  •  a  weighty  part  of 
the  State  which  they  trust  will 
be  advantageous  thereto  and  disadvantage- 
ous to  none.  We  therefore  wish  that  you 
will  so  far  coincide  with  this  statement  of 
the  importaut  subject  as  to  report  to  council 
the  propriety  of  opening  this  road,  and  your 
petitioners  as  in  duty  bound  will  pray,  etc. 

Signed  by  order  and  on  behalf  of  the 
aforesaid  company,  by 

Benj'n  Say,  President. 

Philadelphia,  Dec.  4,  1788. 

Timothy  Pickering,  in  a  letter  bearing  the 
date  Philadelphia,  April  5,  and  7.  1768,  to 
General  Muhlenburg,  strongly  advocates  the 
building  of  this  road  for  the  £150  granted 
by  the  legislature  for  the  purpose.  The  cen- 
tennial for  the  passage  of  this  act  falls  upon 
Saturday,  the  29th  day  of  March  next.  There 
is  a  strong  feeling  existing  to  observo  the 
day,  and  ihe  writer  is  assured  that  many 
historical  papers  will  be  produced  and  read, 
and  many  ancient  documents  and  relics  of 
the  time  brought  out.  Hazleton  is  the  cen- 
tral point  on  the  road,  and  it  is  assured  that 
the  Lehigh  &  Susquenanna  Co.  will  throw 
open  their  gate  during  the  entire  observance 
of  the  centennial.  It  is  high  time  to  move 
in  the  matter.  A  large  delegation  from 
Philadelphia  will  be  invited  as  well  as  from 
all  the  leading  towns  in  the  country.  The 
event  is  certainly  an  important  one,  and  the 
time  a  very  opportune  one  to  look  back  over 
the  past  history  of  the  region,  and  compare 
it  with  the  present. 

Nescopeck. 

Hazleton,  Dec.  24,  1880. 


RECENT  DKATEIS. 


The  Germantown  Telegraph  fur  Nov.  24, 
contains  an  article  on  Rev.  Peter  Keyser,  a 
pioneer  preacher  in  Germantown,  born 
1766.    The  article  is  by  Rev.  S.  F.  Hotch- 

iss. 


BABA.H  GOBE   WOOD. 

This  estimable  lady,  tho  widow  of  John 
B.  Wood,  died  in  Wilkes-Barre  Dec.  21, 
1880,  aged  a  1  years. 

Mrs.  Wood's  maiden  name  was  Sarah 
Gore,  and  she  was  the  youngest  of  five  chil- 
dren of  John  Gore.  Her  fatner  was  of  the 
fifth  generation  of  descent  from  John  Gore, 
who  emigrated  from  England  to  America  in 
1034,  settling  in  Massachusetts. 

She  was  a  niece  of  tho  younger  Obadiah 
Gore,  whe  figured  conspicuously  and  honor- 
ably in  the  early  Wyoming  history.  Obadiah 
Gore  was  a  member  of  the  first  company  of 
Connecticut  adventurers  who  vainly  at- 
tempted to  settle  Wyoming  Valley  in  1762 
and  was  in  the  company  of  200  whi.  h  came 
again  seven  years  later.  His  name  is  in- 
timately connected  with  the  use  of  anthra- 
cite coal,  he  and  his  father,  Obadiah,  u-ing 
it  for  blacksmithing  in  Wilkes-Barre  as 
early  as  1709,  nearly  forty  years  before 
Jesse  Fell  discovered  that  it  could  be  used 
as  fuel  in  stoves. 

The  Gore  family  was  severely  stricken  by 
the  Wyoming  massacre.  Eight  members 
went  into  the  fight  and  when  the  sun  went 
down  upon  that  bloody  field  five  were  killed 
and  one  was  wounded.  The  brothers  Silas, 
Asa  and  George  were  slain,  as  also  the  hus- 
bands of  two  of  the  sisters.  The  three 
brothers  who  escaped— Obadiah,  Daniel  and 
Samuel— subsequently  enlisted  in  the  Con- 
tinental army  and  served  throughout  the 
war,  Obadiah  as  a  lieutentant. 

The  youngest  brother  (father  of  the  late 
Mrs.  Wood)  was  only  14  years  of  age  and 
was  among  the  fugitives  from  the  slaughter. 
Returning,  he  settled  in  Kingston  married 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Gen.  Yv'm.  Ross,  and 
died  at  the  age  of  73. 

Obadiah  Gore,  as  justice  of  the  peace, 
united  in  wedlock,  in  1788,  Matthias  Hol- 
lenback  and  Miss  Sarah  Hibbard.  He  was  a 
reprf seuative  from  Westmoreland  to  the 
Connecticut  Assembly  and  later  he  was  a 
representative  in  the  Pennsylvania  Assem- 
bly. He  took  an  aggressive  part  in  the  Pen- 
namite  wars,  and  when  the  Wyoming  settlers 
in  1784.  believing  that  they  were  oppressed 
by  the  Decree  of  Trenton  in  favor  of  the  Penn- 
sylvania claimants,  sought  a  refuge  in  the 
domain  of  New  York  (an  account  of  the  pro- 
posed exodus  being  first  made  public  at  the 
recent  celebration  of  the  Lnzorne  Centen- 
nial), Judge  Gore  was  selected  as  spokesman 
for  the  settlers,  they  having  united  in  a  peti- 
tion to  the  New  York  Assembly  for  a  tract  of 
land  on  which  to  settle.  Mr.  Gore  bore  the 
petition  on  horeback  to  Albany,  succeeded 
in  getting  the  matter  to  a  favorable  issue 
and  returned  home  to  Wyoming  by  the  same 
lonely  route  through  the  wilderness. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


7u 


Mrs.  Wood,  who  was  horn  in  1805  and 
died  Dec.  21,  1880,  married  John  B.  Wood, 
and  a  Bister  married  Moses  Wood.  She  is 
purvived  by  a  daughter,  Martha,  wife  of 
Major  Form  Espy,  of  St.  Pan!,  Minn.;  Eliza- 
beth, wife  of  Rev.  A.  J.  VanCieft,  of  Nor- 
wich, N.  V.;  and  Maria  E.,  wife  of  VV.  B. 
Mitchell,  of  this  city  and  by  two  sons,  John 
G.  and  George  B. 

MARTIN   CORYELL. 

•  A  telegram  to  the  Record  from  Sylvanus 
Ay  res,  Jr.,  brings  the  brief  announcement 
that  Martin  Coryell  died  Tuesday,  Nov.  30, 
at  Lambertville,  N.  J. 

Mr.  Coryell  was  for  several  years  a  resi- 
dent of  this  city,  actively  engaged  in  devel- 
oping the  resources  of  Wyoming  Valley,  and 
his  family  have  a  host  of  friunds  here  who 
will  be  pained  to  hear  of  his  demise.  Death 
was  due  to  a  pulmonary  trouble,  the  fatal 
termination  having  been  hastened  by  hem- 
orrhages. Deceased  was  born  in  New  Hope, 
Bucks  Co.,  Ph.,  71  years  ago,  and  was  the 
son  of  Lewis  Coryell,  who  was  a  prominent 
Democrat  in  his  day  and  a  warm  friend  of 
Calhoun  and  other  public  men  of  Na- 
tional reputation.  Mr.  Coryell  was  a  civil 
and  mining  engineer  by  profession  and  was 
identified  with  numerous  important  enter- 
prises in  that  line.  He  was  prominent  in  the 
deliberations  of  the  American  Institute  of 
Mining  Engineers,  ot  which  he  was  a  valued 
member.  He  was  a  regular  attendant  upon 
its  annual  gatherings,  in  various  sections 
of  the  country  and  was  a  contributor  to  its 
fund  of  scientific  papers.  Mr.  Coryell  came 
to  Wilkes-Barre  during  the  early  part  of  the 
war  haviDg  previou  ly  been  engaged  in  pro- 
fessional duties  in  Hazleton,  where  he  was 
engaged  in  coal  mini ti gin  partnership  with 
Ario  Pardee.  Af  er  coming  here  he  was  in- 
strumental in  developing  coal  lands  below 
Wilkes-Barre  and  in  organizing  the  War- 
rior Run  Mining  Co.,  an  organization  still 
in  existence  with  Calvin  Pardons  as  presi- 
dent and  operated  by  A.  J.  Davis  &  Co. 
Some  ten  year?  ago  he  determined  to  retire 
from  active  business  and  selling  the  hand- 
some residence  built  by  him  at  15  North 
River  Street,  he  removed  with  his  family  to 
Lamberville,  N.  J.,  which  had  been  the  home 
of  the  Cory  ells  for  several  generations. 
There  he  bought  a  controlling  interest  in 
the  w  ter  works,  enlarged  them  and  the 
same  have  continued  under  his  management 
as  president,  and  that  of  his  son  Torbert  as 
superintendent. 

Mr.  Coryell's  training  as  an  engineer 
naturally  brought  him  m  contact  with  the 
subterranean  world  and  he  was  recognized 
as  a  skilled  and  learned  geologist.  This  fact, 
together  with  his  natural  fondness  format- 
ters of  an  antiquarian  character,  made  him 
an    invaluable    member    of    the    Wyoming 


Historical  and  Geological  Foeiety,  of  this 
city,  of  which  he  was  an  active  member 
during  his  residence  here,  and  a  correspond- 
ing member  ever  since. 

Mr.  Coryell  was  the  assistant  engineer  in 
the  construction  of  the  Belvidere  Delaware 
K.R.,  of  which  an  ex-superintendent  is  J.  A. 
Anderson,  who  married  a  sister  of  Mrs. 
Coryell,  and  lie  was  inter  ested  in  copper 
mining  on  Lake  Superior. 

He  was  married  in  18P2  to  Myra  Coryell, 
who  survives  him,  as  also  two  daughters  and 
a  son:  Alice, married  a  Swiss  merchant,  Elie 
Erismanu,  their  home  being  in  Geneva, 
Switzerland.  Emma  L.,  married  Sylvanus 
Ayres,  Jr.,  formerly  of  this  city,  now  doing 
business  in  New  York,  their  homo  being  in 
Lambertville,  as  is  that  of  the  son,  Torbert. 

He  had  three  brothers  and  two  sisters. 
Elias  was  educated  at  West  Point  and  died 
young.  Miers  was  for  some  years  in  busi- 
ness in  China.  The  third  brother,  Ingham, 
is  dead,  as  is  a  sister  Rebecca.  Another 
sister,  Ellen,  was  twice  married,  first  to  a 
Mr.  Torbert  and  then  to  the  late  Dr.  Samuel 
Lilly,  of  Lambertville. 

Mr.  Coryell  was  of  a  retiring  disposition, 
closely  wrapped  up  in  whatever  work  he  had 
in  hand,  but  a  most  genial  companion  when 
the  cares  of  business  were  thrown  aside. 
Possessing  a  fund  of  information  on  all 
general  subjects,  well  read  in  the  topics  of 
the  day,  always  bright  and  cheerful,  fond  of 
entertaining  family  friends,  the  Coryell 
home  was  ever  the  embodiment  of  genial 
hospitality,  as  many  Wilkes-Barreans  can 
attest. 

MBS.    SARAH   E.    ATHERTON. 

The  entire  city  was  shocked  Nov.  30 
to  hear  of  the  death  of  Mrs.  Sarah  E. 
Atherton.  It  was  known  only  to  the  most 
intimate  friends  of  Mrs.  Atherton  that  she 
was  not  in  her  visual  health,  and  her  death 
was  totally  unexpected  even  by  them. 

Mrs.  Sarah  E.  Atherton  was  born  October 
19.  1823,  the  daughter  of  John  Perkins,  a 
well  known  resident  of  Wyoming  whose 
wife  was  Miss  Eunice  Mdler,  and  whose 
grandfather  was  a  notable  member  of  the 
massacred  band  of  1778.  Mr.  Perkins  had 
six  children,  rive  daughters  and  one  son, 
Mrs.  Atherton  being  the  oldest.  Four  of 
the  family  still  live.  David  Perkins,  who  re- 
sides at  the  old  homestead  in  Wyoming, 
Mrs.  Reuben  Henry,  of  Jersey  City,  Mrs,  E. 
A.  Coray,  of  Exeter,  and  Mrs.  Robert  Black, 
of  Scran-ton.  Thomas  F.  Atherton  married 
Miss  Sarah  E.  Perkins  in  1841,  leaving  her  a 
widow  in  April,  4870.  They  had  uo  children. 

Mr.  Atherton  was  one  of  the  leading  and 
wealthiest  residents  of  Wilkes-Barre  in  his 
later  ypirs.  a  man  widely  nopulir  and  no- 
table for  his  generous  sympathies.  He 
made  a  large  fortune  83  owner  of  a  country 


w 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


store  at  Wyoming  and  as  one  of  the  first 
stockholders  of  the  J>.  L.  &  W.  Ml.  when 
that  line  war,  first  projected.  Uo  was  the 
founder  and  first  president  of  tho  Second 

National  Hank,  ami  a  tounderof  the  Vulcan 
Iron  Works,  hie  had  scarcely  finished  his 
mansion  on  West  River  Street  when  death 
removed  him  in  L870.  Mr.  Atherton  was 
the  halt"  brother  of  Mrs.  Charles  A.  Miner, 
and  the  uncle  of  Thomas  IfVnry  Atherton, 
Esq.  Miss  llattie  Atherton,  well  known  in 
Wilkes-Barre  social  and  musical  circles,  is 
his  niece.  The  handsome  West  Liiver  Street 
estate  of  Mr.  Atherton,  by  a  clause  in  his 
will,  goes  to  his  niece  and  nephew,  in  the 
ratio  of  one  portion  to  the  former  and  two 
to  the  latter. 

Historical   Notes. 

The  Doylestown  Democratof  Dec.  7,  1886, 
contains  an  article  on  Mew  Britain  Home- 
steads,— Old  Dunlap  Farm,  Warrington — 
and  The  Larzeleres, 

W.  H.  H.  Davis,  editor  of  the  Doyiestown 
Democrat,  cautions  the  public  against  a 
so-called  "Historyof  Bucks Uounty," offered 
by  A.  Warner  «fc  Co..  he  claiming  it  to  be  an 
infringement  on  his  copyright,  which  has  10 
years  to  run. 

The  pamphlet  written  not  iong  ago  by  Dr. 
James  J.  Levick,  of  Philadelphia,  on  the 
early  physicians  of  that  city  met  with  a  most 
favorable  reception  all  over  the  country.  It 
has  been  pleasantly  mentioned  by  many 
leading  journals  in  all  sections. 

Rev.  John  W.  Sanborn,  :73,  of  Albion,  N. 
Y.,  read  a  very  interesting  paper  before  the 
Anthropological  section  of  the  A.  A.  A.  S. 
on  the  "Iroquois  League."  Being  himself 
by  adoption  a  member  of  the  Seneca  Nation 
and  a  chief  among  them,  the  paper  was  all 
tho  more  valuable  as  coming  from  inside 
authority,  Mr.  Sanborn  has  done  some 
valuable  classical  work,  and  is  now  about  to 
publish  a  hymn  book  in  the  Seneca  dialect. 
— College  Aryus.     (Wesleyan.) 

The  November  issue  of  Wide  Awake,  CD. 
Lothrop  &  Co.,  Boston)  contained  an  elabo- 
rately illustrated  article  on  the  Princess 
Pocahontas  and  her  husband,  John  Rolfe. 
Among  the  others  is  a  full  page  portrait  of 
Pocahontas  and  her  little  son,  Thomas 
Wolfe.  The  article  maintains  the  truth  of 
the  saving  of  Capt.  John  Smith's  life  by 
Pocahontas.  The  article  is  made  valuable 
by  fac  similes  of  portraits  of  both  these  his- 
toric personages,  taken  during  their  life 
time. 

The  Montrose  Republican  of  Dec.  G  has 
an  interesting  letter  descriptive  of  a  trip 
through  the  Mohawk  Valley  and  the  historic 
events  which  occurred  there.  The  writer, 
"J.  C.  B."  does  not  believe  that  Brant  was  at 
the  Wyoming  massacre,  but  accepts  the  view 
that    he  was  engage  i  in   raids  to  the  north- 


ward. ]',v  pronounces  Col.  John  Butler, 
Josonh  Brant,  and  Walter  Butler,  "a diaboli- 
cal trio  whose  footsteps,  wherever  they  went, 
whether  conjointly  or  separately,  were  red 
with  the  blood  of  innocence  and  helpless- 
ness." 

Our  domestic  fowl  sometimes  have  singu- 
larly voracious  appi  tites.  Pearce's  "Annals 
of  Luzerne"  mentions  the  killing  of  a  duck 
in  Wilkes-Barre,  in  1859,  (by  11.  C.  Wilson, 
we  believe.)  which  had  in  its  gizzard  an  awl 
with  a  handle  three  iuches  long.  The  West 
Chester  Local  News  has  been  shown  the  con- 
tents of  a  chicken's  gizzard  that  had  been 
killed  there,  among  which  were  a  few  white 
Hint  stones  and  40  brass  shells  of  22  calibre 
that  had  been  exploded  in  tiring  at  a  mark. 
The  shells  had  been  much  worn  by  the  action 
of  tho  gizzard  upon  them  and  the  greater 
portion  had  a  piece  of  flint  in  them  where 
the  bullet  had  been  and  the  brass  partly 
closed  over  them  by  the  milling  process  they 
had  undergone,  and  from  their  appearance 
they  must  have  been  in  the  gizzard  for  some 
time.  Thej  had  not  in  the  least  affected  the 
health  of  the  chicken. 


The  Great  Flood  of  1811. 
The  Allentown  News  says:  "The  death 
recently  at  Rockport.  Carbon  Co.,  of  Adam 
Beers,  aged  77  years,  recalls  a  sad  incident 
in  the  lite  of  that  man.  In  1811,  the  year  of 
the  big  freshet,  he  and  his  family  tended 
lock  at  the  Turn  Hole,  above  Mauch  Chunk. 
The  freshrt  occurred  in  January  of  that  year 
and  Mr.  Beers'  three  eldest  children,  Will- 
liam,  aged  8:  George,  5,  and  Eliza,  aged  3 
years,  lost  their  lives  by  drowning.  Two  of 
the  bodies  were  never  recovered.  Mrs. 
Be<jrs  with  her  youngest  child,  a  boy  of 
about  live  months,  in  her  arms,  also  had  a 
narrow  escape  from  a  similar  fate.  In  com- 
memoration of  the  boy's  miraculous  escape 
from  drowning  he  was  rittinely  named 
Moses.  He  is  now  a  practicing  physician, 
very  prominent  m  his  profession,,  in  New- 
eomerstown.  O." 


Edited  and  Printed  by  Indians. 

The  Historical  Society  is  in  receipt  of  nearly 
a  year's  numbers  of  a  Canadian  journal  pub- 
lished at  Hagersville,  Out.,  called  The  In- 
dian, devoted  to  the  aborgines  of  North 
America  and  especially  to  the  Indians  of 
Canada.  The  editor  is  Chief  Kah-ke  wa- 
quo-na-by,  or  in  English  Dr.  P.  E.  Jones. 
Among  the  contained  matter  is  a  biographi- 
cal sketch  of  the  famous  Mohawk  chief 
Brant.  The  author  disclaims  Brant's  re- 
sponsibility for  the  Cherry  Valley  atrocities, 
and  no  mention  is  made  of  the  Wyoming 
slaughter.  The  journal  is  a  highly  interest- 
ing one  from  an  ethnological  standpoint  and 
is  edited  with  genuine  ability.  It  contains  a 
few  articles  in  Ojibwa  each  week. 


• 


The  Hi       leal  Record 

A  MONTHLY    PUBLICATION 


DEVOTED    PRINCIPALLY    TO 

TTfoe  Barty  Ibiotor^  of  Wyoming  ti)allc\> 

AND  CONTIGUOUS  TERRITORY 

WITH 

NOTES    AND    QUERIES 

Biographical,  Antiquarian,  Genealogical 

o 

EDITED  BY  F.  C.  JOHNSON,  M.  D. 


Vol.   r]        January-February  1887        [Nos,  5-6 


wilkes-earre,  pa. 

pve$$  of  Z\k  W.iUics*3Snvi'C  Vxcovb 

MDCCCLXXXVII 


The  Historical  Record. 


<ZO\\XZ\\X$  Page 

LydiaHurlbut  Tiffany's  Narrative,  Hon.  H.  B.  Plumb 76 

Sketch  o(  Bishop  Thomas  Bowman's  family 77 

Wyoming  Blues,  early  documents  concerning 78 

Wilkes-Barre's  Resou rc^6 79 

Index  of  Government  Publications 79 

Plunkett's  Expedition,  original  document  concerning,  Dr   W.  H.  Eglc 80 

Pamphlet  relating  to  Can  ton  Centre,  Conn Si 

Col.  Dorrance's  82d  birthday 81 

Valuable  Newspaper  Relic 03 

Pennsylvania  Names,  poem  by   Charles  W.  Foster 83 

Letter  from  I  )il'ton  Yarin  gton 81 

William  Mill  Butler,  sken:  hoi 84 

Was  President  Polk  in  Wilkes- Barre 84 

Cannibalism  among  the  Indians 85 

Price  of  Coal  in  1822 85 

Paper  C u'rrency  in  1822 85 

Business  Men  of  Wilkes-Barre  in  181S,  Dilton  Yarington 86 

The  Local  Historian 89 

Finding  of  some  Butler  Papers 92 

Historical  Novel  by  Hon    Wm.  Bross 93 

Wyoming  Historical  and  Geological  Society,  Annual  meeting 94 

Pennsylvania  Germans,  Treatise  on 95 

A  Frontier  Hero  (Capt.  Joseph  Solomon,}  Charles  F.  Hill 96 

Pioneer  Physicians  of  Wyoming 97 

Price  of  Flour  from  17S5  to  [828 97 

The  Minisirik  Massacre,  John  Torrey 98 

Friendly  Indians  at  Wyoming  in  1777 99 

War  Prices  in  Confederate  States too 

James  Bird,  some  errors  cor:  ected 100 

Notes— 

Indian  Relics  in  Luzerne  County 97 

Miss  Emily  C.  Blackman  issues  errata 99 

The  Underground  Railway  and  '"Pap"  Jones 95 

J    F.  Meginness  to  rewrite  '"Otzinachson" 89 

Quadri  -centennial  of  Discovery  of  America. 78 

Dr.  Egle's  sketches  of  Penns\  Ivania  Governors 81 

Old  Sullivan  Road.. 82 

Reminiscense  of  the  late  Judge  C.  T.  Barnum 84 

Lack  of  Historical  Interest S6 

Lancaster  County  Historical  Society  organized 99 

Deaths— 

M rs.  Susan   Breese  Packard ....  82 

Mrs.  Dr.  James  T.  Gorman 82 

Albert  McAlpine 82 

Dr.  Geo.    Firman   Horton 89 

Joseph  K  Bogert 90 

D.  O.  Bartlett 92 

Charles  T.    Barnum 79 


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WILKE5-BARRE,   PENN'A. 


TLhe  tblstcrical  'lecotb 


Vol.  I. 


JANUARY- FEBRUARY,   1887. 


Ngs.  5-6. 


PIONEER  PRIVATIONS. 

The    Hardships    of  a  Connecticut  Family 

Who  Caine  ;o  Wyoming  in  1 77S.  as  Told 
by  one  of  the  Sufferers— Sickness  and 
Death  in  Transit  Save  Them  From  the 
Massacre. 

The  narrative  of  Airs.  Lydia  (Hurlbut) 
TiffaDy,  daughter  of  (Deacon)  John  Hurl- 
but,  of  Hanover,  Luzerne  County..  Pa.  It 
was  dictated  to  her  grandson,  Myron  Hurl- 
but,  of  Arkport,  N.  Y.,  iu  1855,  she  being 
then  eighty  ye-rs  old.  She  was  born  in  Gro- 
ton, Connecticut,  July  10,  1775,  and  came 
with  her  father's  family  to  Hanover  in  the 
early  spring  of  1779.  She  married  John 
Tiffany  in  Hanover  iu  1798  and  removed 
to  Arkport,  where  she  deceased.      She   says: 

"John  Hurlbut,  my  grandfather,  settled  in 
Groton,  Connecticut,  My  grandmother's 
name  was  Stoddard.  I  think  she  wan  living 
when  we  moved  from  Groton  to  Wyoming. 
My  mother,  Abigail  Avery,  was  born  on  the 
1st  of  April  (old  style)  1735,  and  died  in 
Pittston  (formerly  called  Lackawanna) 
Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  Nov.  29,  1805.  Father 
started  to  remove  from  Groton  to  Wyoming 
in  the  spring  of  1778,  probably  very  late  in 
the  spring,  or  early  in  June.  They  moved 
with  two  teams  for  carrying  household  fur- 
niture, one  a  wagon  drawn  by  horses  and 
the  other  a  cart  drawn  by  oxen.  Father, 
mother  and  my  two  sisters  rode  horse-back. 
Sister  Catharine  carried  me  most  of  the  way 
on  the  horse  with  her.  We  took  along  cat- 
tle, hogs  and  sheep.  I  think  we  crossed 
the  Hudson  River  at  Newburg.  Just  after 
crossing  the  Delaware  River  tather  was  taken 
with  the  prevailing  camp  distemper, 
and  there  father  and  mother  remained 
to  recruit,  while  the  caravan  moved  slowly 
forward  under  the  direction  of  my  brother 
John.  My  sister  Abigail  was  soon  taken 
with  the  same  disorder,  which  she  endured 
with  great  fortitude,  though  only  six  years 
old.  She  died,  away  from  her  parents,  at 
Lackawaxeu.  John  went  back  to  inform 
them,  and  mother  knew  from  hi-  looks  that 
something  dreadful  had  happened.  She 
would  not  permit  him  to  tell  what  it  was 
until  after  she  had  had  a  season  of  prayer 
in  her  closet,  and  thus  was  prepared  to  hear 
of  the  death  of  her  child  with  composure. 


"These  misfortunes 'saved  them  from  the 
greater  misfortune  of  being  in  a  situation  to 
be  massacred  at  Wyoming  on  the  Bd  of  July, 
1778.  My  brother  Christopher  had  come 
(fiom  Wyoming)  to  Lackawaxeu  to  meet 
them,  and  thus  he  also  was  providentially 
absent  from  the  massacre. 

"Father  turned  aside  to  Shaw  an  gunc  in  the 
State  of  New  York,  where  lie  carried  oil  a 
farm  for  two  years,  (probably  less)  and  then 
moved  to  Wyoming.  Father  bought  eight 
hundred  acres  of  land  at  Hanover,  three 
miles  above  Nanticoke  Falls.  He  built  his 
first  house  of  logs  on  the  north  bank  of  a 
creek,  on  the  west  side  of  trie  main  road,  per- 
haps a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  Surque- 
hanna  River.  There  was  an  alarm  of  Indians 
shortly  after  we  moved  there,— within  one  or 
two  years.  We  fled  in  consequence  from  our 
dwelling  and  the  Indians  burned  it.  Brother 
John  built  a  log  house  on  the  site  of  the  old 
one,  that,  I  think,  is  now  standing.  What 
furniture  could  not  be  removed  was  con- 
cealed. The  large  mirror  and  the  pewter 
dishes  were  buried.  For  greater  safety  we 
had  moved  up  to  the  Stewart  place,  near  the 
lower  end  of  Carey  town,  where  there  was  a 
blockhouse  and  some  soldiers.  There  father 
sickened  and  died.  As  there  was  no  burying 
ground  in  the  neighborhood  he  was,  at  his 
request,  buried  on  his  own  farm.  The 
grave  has  since  been  plowed  over  and  its 
exact  location  entirely  lost.  He  was  buried 
directly  back  of,  that  is  west  of,  the  house 
that  was  burned,  on  the  same  bench  of  land, 
and,  say  ten  rods  from  the  place  where  the 
land  begins  to  descend  to  the  flats,  and 
beyond  the  garden. 

"My  brother,  John  and  Christopher  were 
elders  in  the  church,  (probably  at  Wilkes- 
Bar  re.)"' 

At  the  time  this  was  written,  1855,  the 
house  built  by  her  brother  John  had  been 
torn  down  more  than  twenty  years.  Her 
i  tther  had  bought  the  farm  of  John  Hollen- 
backin  1777,  built  and  occupied  the  house 
in  the  early  spring  of  1779,  and  in  April  of 
the  same  year  was  chosen  member  of  the 
Connecticut  Assembly,  together  with  Col. 
N"  athau  Denison,  to  meet  in  Hartford  in 
May.  The  Assembly  met  twice  a  year,  and 
he  was  sent  there  four  times  before  his  death 
death  in  March.  1782.  He  was  born  in 
1730.     The  parentheses  are  mine. 

H.    B.    PlXMB. 


78 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


A   FAMILY  OF  PREACHERS. 

A  Clipping    From   a    Western    Paper  That. 

Suggests   Some  Interesting  Data  as  to  a 

Branch  of  the  Jiowmm  Family. 
[Shuron  Springs  (Kan.)  limes.] 
Mrs.  Susan  B.  Bowman,  mother  of  Mrs. 
McMichael,  Landlady  of  the  Sharon  Springs 
Hotel,  of  this  town,  is  now  in  her  88th  year, 
and  is  quite  smart  for. a  woman  of  her  age. 
Her  father,  Thomas  Dodson,  settled  near 
Shickshinny,  Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  about 
120  years  ago,  in  the  then  howlingr  wilder- 
ness and  among  wild  animals  and  savage 
Indians.  Her  grandmother  was  carried  off 
by  the  Indians  and  was  kept  by  them  some 
four  years  along  the  Delaware  and  Susque- 
hanna rivers.  Her  folks  found  out  where 
she  was,  and  with  a  large  posse  of  armed 
men,  one  dark  night,  stole  in  amoncr  the 
wigwams  and  captured  her  after  some  se- 
vere fighting.  She  had  been  among  the  In- 
dians so  long  that  she  had  become  accustom- 
ed to  their  ways  and  could  handle  the  bow 
and  arrow  with  accuracy;  but  on  her  return 
home  was  overjoyed  to  be  on  the  little 
side-hill  farm,  instead  of  the  small  wig- 
wam among  the  bloody  savages.  She  fiaid 
she  never  expected  to  see  her  parents 
again.  Mrs.  Bowman's  father's  house  in 
Luzerne  County,  Pa.,  was  burned  twice  by 
the  Indians  in  mid-day.  They  saw  the 
Indians  coming,  and  heard  the  sounds  of 
their  war  whoops,  and  fled,  her  mother  car- 
rying her  in  her  arms  many  miles.  Mrs. 
Bowman  has  all  of  her  faculties  except  being 
a  little  hard  of  hearing,  but  she  reads  every 
day  without  glasses.  She  has  been  a  true, 
consistent  member  of  the  M.  E.  Church  for 
more  than  70  years,  and  is  an  aunt  to  Bishop 
Bowman,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo.  Mrs.  Bowman 
is  the  mother  of  nine  children  and  has  out- 
lived all  of  them  but  two.  Tipstaff  Charles 
M.  Bowman,  of  VYilkes-Barre,  Pa.,  and  Mrs. 
McMichael,  of  Sharon  Springs,  Kan. 

[The  lady  mentioned  was  Miss  Susan  Dod- 
son, of  Town  Hill,  Luzerne  Co.,  Pa.,  and 
her  husband  (whoso  death  occurred  at  Rock 
Island,  111.,  in  1871)  was  G^orce  Bowman. 
The  latter  was  one  of  10  children 
of  Rev.  Thomas  Bowman.  The 
latter  was  born  in  1760,  in 
Backs  County,  Pa.  Married  Mary  Freas, 
1782  Moved  to  Briar  Creek,  Columbia  Co., 
in  1793.  He  was  a  local  preacher  in  the  M. 
E.  Church,  and  in  1807,  toother  with  his 
brother  Christopher,  was  ordained  a  deacon 
by  Bishop  Asbury  at  For-ty  Fort.  He  was  a 
powerful  preacher  and  traveled  on  horse- 
back up  and  down  the  Susquehanna  for 
many  years.  He  died  in  1823  at  Briar 
Creek.    Thomas  Bowman  had  10  children: 

Christopher,  Jr.,  b.  1783,  d.  1850. 

Henry,  b.  1785,  d.  1805. 

John,  b.  1786,  d.  1813. 


Jeese,  b.  1788,  d.  1880. 

Sarah,  b.  1700,  in.  Samuel  Millard,  d. 
about  J  830. 

We*ley,  b.  1703. 

George,  b.  1705,  d.  1871. 

Sophia,  b.  1707,  m.  Judge  Gearhart,  d. 
1880. 

Susan,  b.  1700,  m.  Rev.  Shadrach  B.  Lay- 
cock,  d.  1875. 

Thomas,  b.  1803,  d.  1808. 

Of  these,  John,  who  died  near  Berwick  in 
1843,  was  the  father  of  Rev.  Thomas  Bow- 
man, who  rose  to  distinction  in  the  Metho- 
dist Church,  being  made  a  bishop  in  1872,  a 
relation  which  he  still  holds. 

Jesse  was  the  father  of  our  former 
townsman,  Caleb  Franklin  Bowman, 
Esq.,  whose  death  occurred  in 
Wilkes-Barre  in  1873.  The  latter's  widow, 
born  IsabellaTalliUMii, is  still  a  resident  of  our 
city.  Caleb's  brother,  Gen.  Samuel  Millard 
Bowman,  attained  distinction  in  the  United 
States  Army,  and  died  of  a  paralytic  affec- 
tion in  June,  1885,  in  Kansas  City,  at  the 
age  of  70. 

Wit  hin  the  last  few  w  eeks  t he  same  affection 
which  caused  the  death  of  Gen.  Samuel  M. 
Bowman  and  C.  F.  Bowman,  has  prostrated 
another  brother,  John  Wesley  Bowman,  at 
his  home  in  Nanticoke,  his  right  side  being 
paralyzed.  Mr.  Bowman  is  the  ninth  child 
and  the  seventh  son  of  Jesse  Bowman.  He 
was  born  in  1825  and  by  vocation 
is  a  farmer.  In  1872  he  married 
Mary  Victoria  Hnqhes.  of  Tamaqua. 

For  most  of  the  data  used  above  we  are 
under  obligation  to  the  handsome  volume 
entitled  "The  Bowman  Family,  a  Historical 
and  Memorial  Volume,  from  the  earliest  tra- 
ditions to  the  present  time.''  Published  in 
lb80  at  Harrisburg,  for  private  circulation. 
It  is  from  the  pen  of  Rev.  Shadrack  Laycock 
Bowman,  professor  of  systematic  theology  in 
De  Pauw  University,  Ind.,  and  Rev.  Jesse 
Bowman  Young,  of  Harrisburg.  It  is  a  vol- 
ume of  258  pages,  elaborately  illustrated 
with  phototypes.  Among  the  portraits  are 
those  of  the  late  C.  F.  Bowman  aud  his 
widow.  It  is  a  valuabla  contribution  to  local 
history  aud  to  the  history  of  Methodism. — 
Editqe.1 


At  its  last  annual  meeting  the  American 
Historical  Society  adopted  a  recommenda- 
tion in  favor  of  a  due  observance  in  1802  of 
the  four  hundredth  anniversary  of  the  dis- 
covery of  America  by  Christopher  Columbus. 
Their  memorial  was  referred  to  a  commit- 
tee f  Congress,  which  has  reported  in  favor 
of  the  commemoration  of  the  event  by  an 
international  exhibition  of  the  industries 
and  pioducts  of  all  nations.  The  report  of 
the  committee  recommends  a  joint  com- 
mittee of  the  Senate  and  House  to  prepare 
and  report  a  suitable  bill. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Tft 


THE  WYOMING   BLUUS. 


Some  of  the  Rules  of  that  .\neient  military 
Company  and  a  Call  for  an  Election  of 
Officer*. 

Ono  of  Wilkes-Barre'fl  earliest  military 
companies  was  tho  Wyoming  Blues,  though 
just  when  it  was  organized  nobody  knows. 
James  A.  Gordon  says  they  had  a  quasi  or- 
ganization as  early  as  1708.  They  certainly 
existed  as  early  as  1800  as  shown  by  an  old 
weather-beaten  document  in  the  possession 
of  the  Record,  it  being  a  printed  blank, 
filled  in  with  a  pen.     It  reads  as  follows: 

MILITIA  ELECTION. 

Notice  is  given  to  the  Volunteer  Company 
called  the  Wyoming  Blues,  attached  to  the 
Second  battalion  in  th*  35th  Keeiinent,  com- 
manded by  Lieut.  Col.  Kansoin.  that  an  election 
for  a  »  aptain,  Lieutenant  and  Ensign  will  be 
held  at  the  house  of  i  awrence  Myers,  E*c/r,  in 
the  township  of  Kingston,  on  Thursday,  the  19th 
day  of  June,  inst  ,  1800,  between  the  hours  of  10 
in  the  forenoon  and  six  in  the  afternoon,  where 
thoBe  concerned  are  requested  to  attend,  to 
elect  by  ballot,  the  said  officers. 

William  Ross. 
Brigade   Inspector  of    the 
Second  Brigade,  compos- 
ed of  the    Militia  of    the 
counties  of   Northumber- 
land, Lycoming   and  Lu- 
zerne. 
Wilkes-Barre,  June  10th  1800. 
Tho  old  paper  is  handed  us  by  George  H. 
Butler,  Esq.,  and  is  one  of  the  batch  found  a 
couple  of  years  ago   among   the    effects    of 
Zebnlon  Butler,  son  of  Col.  Z.  Butler. 

There  are  also  a  couple  of  sheets  of  paper 
pinned  with  the  same  pin  that  fastened  them 
together  80  years  ago,  giving  what  appears 
to  be  the  original  organization  of  the 
Wyoming  Blues,  their  rules,  uniform  and 
first  roster.  It  is  so  torn  and  soiled  that 
some  parts  cannot  be  deciphered.  We  ap- 
pend it,  though  not  vouching  for  the  correct- 
ness of  the  signatures  as  given: 

The  undersigned,  belonging  to  the  Wyo- 
ming Blues,  pledge  ourselves  to  comply 
with  the  following  rules,  to  wit: 

That  we  will  furnish  ourselves  with  such 
uniforms,  etc.,  as  shall  be  agreed  on   by  the 

company  by  the day  of 

That  anyone  who  in  tne  least  does  not 
equip  and  attend  agreeably  to  the  rules  of 
the  company.    .     .     . 


Zeb.  Butler, 
George  Chahoon, 
W.  M.  Robison. 
Samuel  Brown, 
Calvin  Edwards, 
Edwin  Tracy 
Josiah  Bennet, 
Elijah  Adams, 

.     .     .     Nutton, 
John  J.  Ward, 
Godfrey  Ferry, 


Charles  Miner, 
Isaac  A.  Chapman, 
Isaac  Bowman, 
Lumau  Gilbert, 
Nehemiah  Waters, 
James  S.  Lee, 
James  Wright, 
Lyra  Landon, 
Jacob     .     .     . 
George  Hendler, 
Jacob  Kiethline, 


Andrew  Vogle,  Jesse  Crissman, 

Conrad  Bum  mage,       Francis  Bainow, 
George  Espie,  *  Benjamin  Perry, 

Daniel  Downing,         John  Hannis, 
John  L.  Burtrel,  James  Foster, 

Joseph  Shafer,  Hugh  H.  Anderson. 

Resolved  that  no  member  shall  have  leave 
to  withdraw  unless  by  consent  of  the  com- 
pany, unless  urgency  requires  it  sooner  than 
the  company  can  meet,  and  in  such  case  he 
siiali  have  leave  of  the  officers.    Passed. 

Resolved  that  the  uniform  of  the  company 
shall  be  as  it  has  formerly  been,  except  the 
coat,  which  shall  be  a  short  skirt  coat  or  a 
coatee,  and  those  who  have  an  uniform  at 
this  time  may  wear  their  present  coats. 
Passed. 

Resolved  that  we  will  be  uniformed  at  or 
before  the  next  general  review.    Passed. 

The  uniform  shall  be, 

1,  A  crowned  brimmed  black  hat  .  .  . 
black  bear  skin,  with  a  white  .  .  .  and 
red  lap. 

2,  Deep  blue  coatee,  faced  and  trimmed 
with  red. 

3,  White  or  buff  vest. 

4,  Deep  blue  pantaloons  circled  with  red. 

5,  Either  boots  or  black  shoe  and  black 
gaiters.     Passed. 

Death  of  Ex-Judge  Barnum. 

About  11  o'clock  am.,  Tuesday,  Jan.  11, 
Charles  T.  Barnum,  a  former  associate  judge 
of  this  county,  died  at  his  residence,  on  the 
shores  of  Harvey's  Lake,  after  a  brief  iilnes3 
of  inflammation  of  the  bowels.  For  many 
years  past  he  had  lived  a  quiet,  retired  life 
at  his  comfortable  home  on  the  Lake.  He 
was  born  in  Kingston  Jan.  8,  1813,  and  was 
therefore  a  few  days  past  7-1  years  old.  In 
his  early  manhood  he  took  an  active  part  in 
public  and  political  affairs.  He  served  one 
term  as  county  commissioner  and  was  for 
some  time  afterwards  commissioners'  clerk. 
He  was  elected  associate  judge  and  sat  on 
the  bench  with  the  late  Judge  Conyngham. 
He  was  widely  known  throughout  this  and 
neighboring  counties,  and  was  held  in  high 
esteem  by  all  who  knew  him.  He  was  a 
geuial  and  kindhearted  man  and  will  be 
sorely  missed  by  his   more  intimate  friends. 

Funeral  services  will  bo  held  at  his  home 
at  the  Lake  to-day  at  10  am.,  after  which  the 
remains  will  be  removed  to  the  home  of  his 
son,  Benjamin  F.  Barnum,  on  South  Welles 
Street,  from  whence  tho  interment  will  be 
made  on  Thursday  afternoon  at  2  o'clock. 
Another  son  who  survives  is  Prof.  Jame3 
Barnum.  —  Daily  Record,  January  12. 

G.  H.  R.  Plumb,  Esq.,  left  recently  to 
make  wrae  hasty  researches  throughout 
New  England  and  the  Soutti  in  matters  con- 
cerning bis  "History  of  the  Plumb  Family  in 
America," 


eo 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


WILK I  \S-H  A K R E'S  RESOURCES. 


Facts  Taken  From  the  Tenth  Census    Sta- 
tistics  of  Population, 

Volume  18,  of  tho  tenth  census,  treating 
of  the  social  statistics  of  cities,  has  jost  been 
received  at  this  office.  It  bears  date  of  1886. 
Nine  pases  of  the  volume  are  devoted  to 
Wilkes-Barre,  and  the  article  on  our  city  is 
illustrated  by  a  diagram  showing  the  distance 
and  direction  of  Mew  York,  Philadelphia, 
Harri.^burg,  Pittsburg  and  Buffalo,  and  by  a 
map  of  VVilkes-Barre. 

A  foot  note  states  that  Sheldon  Reynolds, 
Esq.,  of  Wilkes-Barre,  is  the  author  of  the 
historical  sketch,  and  also  transmitted  a 
large  proportion  of  the  detailed  information 
concerning  the  then  (1880)  condition  of 
the  city.  It  is,  however,  dae  to  Mr.  Reynolds 
to  say  that  the  blunders  with  which  the  re- 
port abounds  are  not  his,  but  the  result  of 
bad  typesetting  and  worse  proof  reading. 
None  of  the  proofs  reached  the  author.  For 
instance,  our  people  of  Conn ecticnt  extrac- 
tion should  not  deal  unkindly  with  Mr.  Rey- 
nolds because  his  article  says  that  Wyoming 
was  first  settled  in  176*2  by  a  partj  of  men 
from  Cincinnati,  Nor  should  they  be  misled 
by  the  "secret  attempt"  of  the  Susquehanna 
Company  in  1769  to  take  possession,  for 
second  attempt  is  meant.  The  com- 
pletion of  the  North  Branch  Canal 
in  1813  is,  of  course,  a  misprint  for  1630. 
The  river  common,  instead  of  having  a 
maximum  width  of  8,500  feet,  has  only  350, 
and  the  river  has  not  washed  the  rest  away, 
either,  in  spite  of  one  or  two  local  alarmists. 

The  table  of  population  by  decades  is 
badly  mixed.  The  figures  should  be  as  fol- 
lows: 1820,755;  1830,  1.201;  1840.  1,718: 
18  0,  2.723:  1800,  4.253:  1870.  10,174; 
1880,  23,339.  Apart  from  these  the  blun- 
ders are  mainly  examples  of  the  Government 
type  setters  assuming  to  know  more  about 
grammar  than  the  author. 

The  latitude  is  41  degrees,  14  minutes 
nortn;  longitude  75  degrees  and  50  minutes 
west  from  Greenwich:  altitude  511  to  731 
feet. 

Total  valuation,  S3, 134. 180:  per  capita, 
§134.  Net  indebtedness,  S95.G97;  per  cap- 
ita, S4  07.     Tax  per  S100,  83.63. 

An  interesting  sketch  is  given  from  the 
earliest  settlement  down  to  1880  and  a  de- 
scription of  the  city  as  it  appeared  in  that 
year — its  railroad  communication,  tributary 
country,  tocography,  climate,  streets,  water 
works,  public  buildings,  pleasure  grounds, 
places  of  amusement,  drainage,  cemeteries, 
markets,  sanitation,  infectious  diseases, 
municipal  cleansing,  ponce  and  manufac- 
tures. As  seven  years  have  elapsed  since 
these  statistics  were  prepared,  and  our  city 
has  doubled  ia  population,  it  would  serve  no 
good  purpose  to  reprint  them  now  in    these 


columns,  if  they  could  be  brought  down  to 
date  and  published  in  pamphlet  form  to- 
gether with  the  historical  sketch,  they  would 
form  a  most  valuable  document  for  the 
Board  of  Trade  to  distribute.  'I  hey  convey 
a  vast  deal  of  information  that  is  too  valu- 
able to  be  locked  up  within  a  public  docu- 
ment. 

The  volume  is  compiled  by  Col.  George  E. 
Waring,  Jr.,  of  Newport  H.  I. 


Index  of  Government  Publications. 

A  most  valuable  publication  has  lately 
been  issued  from  the  Government  printing 
office,  a  copy  of  which  reaches  the  Record 
through  the  courtesy  of  Congressman  Os- 
borne. It  is  a  descriptive  catalogue  of  all 
the  Govern ment  publications  of  the  United 
States  from  1774  to  1881,  a  period  of  107 
years.  It  i^  a  volume  of  nearly  1,400  pages, 
9xll}<<  inches,  and  is  compiled  by  the  well 
known  Washington  correspondent,  Ben: 
irerley  Poore,  clerk  of  printing  records. 

The  greater  portion  of  the  volume  is  de- 
voted to  a  list  chronologically  arranged,  of 
the  many  thousand  publications,  legislative, 
executive  and  judicial,  giving  each  a  very 
brief  summary  of  a  lew  lines,  fins  of  itself 
would  furnish  the  investigator  scant  help 
in  tracing  up  a  subject  of  finance,  political 
economy,  or  other  historical  matter.  But 
search  is  rendered  easy  by  means  of  a  de- 
tailed index. 

For  example,  suppose  one  wants  to  refer 
to  the  efforts  made  half  a  century  ago  to  in- 
demnify the  people  of  Wyoming  Valley  for 
losses  sustained  during  the  Revolutionary 
War,  the  following  interesting  references 
are  given  in  connection  with  "Wyoming:" 

'•Memorial  relative  to  Wyoming  claims. 
Citizens  of  Pennsylvania.  Dec.  27  1837. 
Ex-Docs.  No.  52.  25th  Congress,  2d  session, 
Vol.  2  8pp.  8  vo.  In  behalf  of  the  sufferers 
by  invasion  of  the  Wyoming  settlement  by 
the  British  and  Indians  during  the  Revolu- 
tionary War:  praying  for  a  grant  of  lands  to 
the  survivors  and  to  the  heirs  of  those  that 
are  dead. 

Resolutions  relative  to  claims  of  Wyoming 
sufferers.  Pa.  Legislature,  Apr.  10,  1838. 
Ex.  Docs.  No.  358,  25th  Congress,  2d  ses- 
sion, Vol.  10.  In  favor  of  the  passage  of  a 
law  granling  compensation  to  the  sufferers 
by  the  Wyoming  massacre  during  the  Revo- 
lutionary War. 

Report  on  petition  of  heirs  of  the  Wyo- 
ming victims  July  2.  1838.  Reports  of  com- 
mittees, >,o.  1032,  25th  Congress,  2d  ses- 
sion, Vol.  4,  2  pp..  octavo.  House  Revolu- 
tionary Claims  Committee  reports  adversely 
to  allowance  of  compensation  for  losses  sus- 
tained. 

Petition  relative  to  Indian  depredations. 
Citizens  of  Wyoming,   Feb.  18,  1839.    Ex- 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


81 


Doch.  No.  203,  25th  Congress,  3d  session, 
vol.  4,  '10  pp.,  8  vu.  Fraying  compensation 
for  losses  and  sufferings  occasioned  by  the 
attack  of  the  Indians  on  the  town  of  Wyo- 
ming during  the  Revolutionary  \\  ar". 

Under  dale  of  March  25,  1630,  reference 
is  made  to  the  recommendation  by  the 
House  Revolutionary  Claims  Committee  of 
allowance  to  heirs  of  Dr.  Win.  Hooker 
Smith,  of  Wilkes-Barre,  for  his  services  as 
acting  surgeon  during  the  Revolutionarj 
War.  This  petition  was  taken  to  Washing- 
ton by  Dr.  Andrew  Bedford,  who,  after  the 
lapse  of  50  years,  is  alive  and  well  at  his 
home  in  Waverly. 

The  measures  taken  in  regard  to  Frances 
Slocum,  "the  lost  sister  of  Wyoming,"  are 
as  easily  traced,  as  also  the  measures  intro- 
duced by  our  several  Representatives  in 
Congress. 

Every  event  in  our  Nation's  historj  can  be 
traced  easily,  provided  one  has  access  to  the 
public  documents  themselves,  many  of 
which  can  be  found  in  the  library  of  the 
Wyoming  Historical  and  Geological  Society, 
which  is  at  present  one  of  the  official  de- 
positories of  all  the  Government  publica- 
tions. The  index  alone  affords  interesting 
reading.  Under  such  heads  as  "Jefferson 
Davis,"  "Slavery,"  "Revolutionary  War," 
"George  Washington,-'  "Tariff,*'  "Public 
Land,"  and  hundreds  of  other  topics  one 
can  find  as  much  to  interest  as  he  could  by 
consulting  a  cyclopedia. 

The  work  of  preparing  the  volume  occu- 
pied two  years  and  was  performed  by  Mr. 
Poore  and  14  assistants.  They  found  and 
catalogued  03,060  books,  pamphlets  and 
documents,  ransacking  the  libraries  of  Con- 
gress, of  the  Senate,  of  the  House,  of  the 
heven  Executive  Departments,  of  the  De- 
partments of  Agriculture,  the  Smithsonian 
Institution,  of  the  Coast  and  Geodetic  Sur- 
vey and  the  other  scientific  surveys,  as  also 
the  public,  library  of  Bo.-ton. 

The  work  is  not  too  wieldy  for  reference 
and  will  greatly  facilitate  an  examination  of 
the  books,  pamphlets  and  documents  pub- 
lished by  or  purchased  by  the  Federal  Gov- 
ernment since  its  inception,  many  of  which 
have  been  virtually  unknown  to  publicists 
and  the  students  of  question-  to  which  they 
relate.  Mr.  Poore  is  to  be  congratulated 
upon  the  fidelity  and  thoroughness  with 
which  his  work  has  been  done. 


On  the  occasion  of  the  inauguration  of 
Gov.  Beaver,  the  Harrisburg  Telegraph  pub- 
lished a  series  of  biographical  a  nicies  of 
all  the  Governors  of  Pennsylvania,  from  the 
fertile  pen  of  Dr.  W.  ii.  Egle.  By  ihe  way, 
Dr.  Eyle  has  been  busily  e? gaged  reading 
the  proof  sheets  of  volume  13  of  the  fenn- 
el lvania  Archives. 


Col.  Plunkett'*  Expedition. 

Dr.  W.  II.  Egle,  of  Harrisburg,  sends  the 
Record  an  interesting  document  pertaining 
to  the  Plunkett  invasion  of  Wyoming  Valley 
in  1775.  The  doctor  promises  a  sketch  of 
Plunkett  for  a  subs  q.uent  is.-ue.  Wo  may 
premise  the  old  document  by  remarking  that 
Plunkett  was  sent  in  1775  to  Wyomiog  by 
the  Pennsylvania  Assembly  fo  effect  the 
arrest  of  certain  of  the  Connecticut  clai- 
mants who  were  charged  with  illegal  prac- 
tices. He  accordingly  marched  on  Wyom- 
ing with  500  men.  At  Nanticoke  they  were 
given  a  warm  reception  by  the  Connecticut 
settlers,  and  beaten  back  with  a  loss  of  two 
killed  and  several  wounded,  the  fight  accur- 
ring  on  Christmas  Day.  The  expedition 
accordingly  returned  down  the  river 
without  t fleeting  its  object.  Plunkett  is 
mentioned  in  the  bill  as  Doctor,  he  having 
been  a  druggist,  and  perhaps  a  practioner  of 
medicine,  though  as  to  this  Dr.  Egle  will 
doubtless  enlighten  us  in  his  promised  sketch. 

The  Province  of  Pennsylvania 

To  Ca^t.  Thomas  Gaskin        Dr, 

For  a  large  Boat  Lost  in  the  Ex- 
pedition with  Doctor  William  Plun- 
ket  returning  from  Wyoming £18  0  0 

To  Six  large  Socket  polls  Lost  at 
the  same  time 2  5  0 

To  12  Days  Service  of  myself  at 
3s  Od  per  day 2  5  0 

To  12  Days  Service  of  two  boatmen 
at  2s  Od  per  day 3  0  0 

To  finding  myself  and  hands  pro- 
visions        215 

December,  1775  £'28  5  0 

Interest  Due. 

Northumberland  County  ss: 

On  the  20th  day  of  November  Ano  Dom. 
1769,  Before  me  John  Simpson  esquire  one 
of  the  Judges  of  the  Court  of  Common 
please  for  the  county  afores'd,  personally 
came  Thomas  Gaskins,  who  being  duly  sworu 
on  the  holy  Avangilists  of  Almighty  God, 
did  declare  and  say  that  the  account  as  above 
stated  is  just  and  true;  and  that  he  never  re- 
ceived it  nor  no  part  thereof,  and  further 
saith  not.  Thomas  Gaskins. 

Sworn  and  subscribed  the  day  and  year 
afores'd.  Before  me,  witness  my  hand  and 
seal.  ,  ~^—  . 

J.  Simpson.         j   seal    <■ 

[The  foregoing  is  endorsed,  "Thomas 
Gaskins'  account  against  the  Province  of 
Pennsylvania"  and  also  "Received  a  Certifi- 
cate No.  1G.710  for  twenty-eight  pounds  five 
shillings  W.  Wilson."  Coi.  William  Wilson, 
was  then  a  member  of  of  the  Supreme  Execu- 
tive Council  from  Northumberland  County. 
Who  was  Thomas  Gaskins  ?] 


82 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


A  Connecticut  Local  History. 
A  96-page  pamphlet  recently  received  by 
the  Recoiid  hours  the  following  title:  "His- 
torical Sketch  uf  the  Congregational  Church 
and  Parish  of  *  Canton  Comer,  Com;.,  form- 
erly West  Simsbury,  organized  1750-  Com- 
piled by  Rev.  Frederick  Alvord  and  Miss 
Ira  R.  Gridley.  Hartford,  1886."  it  opens 
with  a  historical  sermon  pleached  by  Rev. 
Jairus  Bart  in  1851,  the  only  connected  his- 
tory of  the  church  np  to  that  time.  The 
settlement  of  Simsbury  began  in  1737,  and 
the  place  was  constituted  a  parish  in  1750. 
The  first  settled  pastor  was  Rev.  Evander 
Morrison,  1750,  and  the  second  was  Rev. 
Gideon  Mills,  1759;  third,  Rev.  Seth  Gage, 
1774;  fourth,  Rev.  Jeremiah  Hallock,  1785 
to  1820.  A  curious  document  is  &iven, 
relative  to  the  pastor's  retirement,  he  sign- 
ing a  paper  discharging:  the  so- 
ciety from  any  liability  as  to  his 
salary,  and  "I  ye  said  Mr.  Morrison  do  ac- 
quit and  discharge  the  society  from  ail  de- 
mands from  the  beginning  of  the  world  to 
this  day  and  forever  after.  Received  in  full 
— I  say  received  per  me — as  witness  my 
hand."  The  pamphlet  traces  the  church  and 
the  parish  down  to  the  present  ana  t^ives 
brief  sketches  of  such  citizens  as  become 
prominent  in  business  or  in  the  professions. 
It  closes  with  a  historical  poem  by  Miss  Ida 
R.  Gridley,  who  was  a  W'esleyan  graduate  in 
the  class  of  1885  and  is  now  a  student  of 
medicine.  The  pamphlet  is  a  valuable  con- 
tribution to  Connecticut  local  annals  and  is 
of  interest  as  well  to  students  of  Wyoming 
history,  some  of  our  pioneers  having  come 
from  the  region  described. 


Eighty-Two  Tears  Old 

[Daily  Record,  Jan.  L] 
The  host  of  Col.  Charles  Dorrance's 
friends,  should  they  meet  him  to-day,  would 
be  glad  to  extend  him  their  hearty  congratu- 
lations at  having  reached  the  ripe  age  of  82 
years.  The  event  will  be  quietly  celebrated 
by  a  family  gathering.  Col.  Dorrance  is 
hale  and  hearty  and  shows  hardly  a  trace  of 
the  paralytic  attack  which  affected  him 
some  time  ago.  He  is  therefore  in  good 
trim  for  enjoying  the  event  and  having  his 
children  and  grand-children  around  him 
again.  The  colonel  takes  pardonable  pnae 
in  coming  from  the  old  Connecticut  stock 
which  first  peopled  this  fruitful  valley  and 
who  bad  first  to  drivo  out  a  savage  f«e  and 
then  seek  to  maintain  an  unequal  conthct 
for  title  against  the  power  of  what  was  be- 
lieved to  be  oppression  on  the  p-^rt  of  the 
State  government.  Col.  Dorrance  is  presi- 
dent of  the  association  which  meets  an- 
nually at  the  foot  of  the  monument  tocom- 


memorate  the  bloody  fight  of  1778,  and  in 
which  his  grandfather,  Lt.  Col.  Geo.  Dor- 
rance, was  so  badly  wounded  that  he  waft 
on  the  following  day  killed  by  his  savage 
captors. 

Col.  Charles  Dorranee— he  gets  his  title 
from  having  been  an  officer  in  the  old  Wyo- 
ming Volunteers — is  a  libera)  patron  of 
ever>  thing  which  goes  to  build  up  Wyoming 
Valley  and  to  elucidate  its  early  history.  At 
the  3d  of  July  gatherings  he  has  a  fondness 
of  making  them  as  impressive  as  possible, 
and  always  insists  on  taking  to  the  annual 
dinner  as  his  guests  the  several  clergymen 
who  may  be  present,  and  not  only  so,  but  he 
does  the  newspaper  men  the  compliment  of 
including  them  in  the  same  select  circle  of 
guests. 

Col.  Dorrance  is  a  son  of  Benjamin  Dor- 
rance and  a  brother  of  the  late  lamented  and 
beloved  Rev.  John  Dorrance,  of  local  fame 
in  Presbyterian  circles.  He  was  born  Jan. 
4,  1805,  and  has  ever  since  lived  in  the  an- 
cestral home,  where  he  has  a  model  farm 
and  where  he  is  surrounded  by  everything 
that  wealth  and  a  discriminating  taste  can 
simply.  In  his  advancing  age  he  is  not 
alone,  '  but  his  good  wife,  whom  he 
married  in  1815,  is  spared  to  enjoy 
his  company.  Their  home  is  visited  almost 
daily  by  some  on*:  or  other  of  their  children 
or  grandchildren.  His  son,  B.  F.  Dorrance, 
Esq.,  lives  with  his  family  near  the  paternal 
home  and  his  daughter  Annie  Buckingham, 
wife  of  Sheldon  Reynolds,  Esq.,  lives  in 
Wilkes-Barre.  Of  his  other  sons,  J.  Ford 
Dorrance  is  practicing  law  in  Meadville, 
John  is  farming  in  Missouri  and  Charles.Jr., 
is  a  clerk  in  Chicago. 

Col.  Dorrance  has  been  prominently 
identified  with  locpl  affairs.  He  was.  among 
many  other  trusts,  a  leader  in  the  Luzerne 
County  Agricultural  Society,  a  jail  commis- 
sioner and  he  holds  the  presidency  of  the 
Wyoming  Bank,  a  position  filled  by  his 
father  half  a  century  before  him. 

Col.  Dorrance  has  indeed  been  favored  by 
fortune  and  by  health,  and  now,  with  his 
family  around  him  and  with  a  well-earned 
reputation  for  industry  and  integrity  he 
ought  to  be  able  to  enjoy  his  82d  birthday 
with  an  unusual  degree  of  pleasure. 


The   Old  Sullivan  Road. 

The  second  of  a  series  of  articles  running 
in  the  Guardian,  a  Reformed  Church  pub- 
lication printed  in  Philadelphia,  appears  in 
the  December  i.^sne  of  that  journal.  The 
editor— Rev.  H.  M.  Kicff^r.  A.  M— relates 
the  story  of  the  massacres  at  Wyoming  and 
Cherry  Valley  in  1778,  and  the  determina- 
tion of  Washington  to  avenge  these  atroci- 
ties, the  article  cio-ing  with  a  brief  sketch  of 
Gen.  Sullivan,  who  was  selected  to  chastise 
the  savages. 


THE  MST01UCAL  RECORD. 


83 


A  Princeton  Lady  Dead. 
From  a  recent  number  of  the  Princeton 

(N.  J.)  Press  we  learn  of  the  death  of  Mrs. 
Susan  Broese  Packard,  wife  of  Prof.  Pack- 
ard, of  Princeton  College,  and  a  cousin  of 
Rev.  E.  Hazard  Snowden,  of  this  valley.  Her 
maternal  grandfather,  Rev.  Samuel  Finley 
Snowden,  was  from  1795  to  1S01  first  pastor 
of  the  Presbyterian  Church  of  Princeton. 
She  was  a  descendant  in  t he  tit th  generation 
of  Benjamin  Fitz  Randolph,  one  of  the 
prominent  men  of  Princeton  in  his  time. 
The  connections  of  her  family  in  different 
generations  included  such  names  as  Finley, 
Breese  and  Bayard,  names  that  Princeton 
loves  to  honor.  Her  life  prior  to  her  mar- 
riage had  been  spent  mainly  at  Orange  and 
Bloomfield,  N.  J.,  the  scenes  of  the  former 
pastorate  of  her  father,  Rev.  Joseph  S.  Gal- 
lagher. Prior  to  entering  the  ministry  her 
father  spent  20  years  in  the  National  service 
as  assistant  astronomer  and  as  an  artillery 
officer.  Mrs.  Packard  lost  an  only  daughter 
four  years  ago  and  she  gradually  declined 
from  that  tune.  She  will  be  lovingly  re- 
membered by  such  of  the  students  as  knew 
her. 


A   Pioneer  Physician's  Widow    Dead. 

GOBMAS— In  Providence,  Jan.  23,  1S87,  Mis. 
Louis  lieechcr  Gorman,  relict  of  the  late 
James  T.  Gorman,  M.  1).,  aged  92  years  and  G 
months. 

Mrs.  Gorman  was  the  relict  of  the  late 
James  T,  Gorman,  M.  D.,  one  of  the  pioneer 
physicians  of  Northeastern  Pennsylvania. 
She  was  born  in  Litchfield  County,  Conn., 
July  29,  179-1,  of  sturdy  New  England  stock, 
her  childhood  was  passed  in  her  native 
county,  amid  surroundings  and  influences 
that  tended  to  the  development  of  sleep, 
strong  and  abiding  virtues.  In  1816  she 
was  united  in  marriage  to  James  JC.  Gor- 
man, M.  D.,  and  in  183(3  removed  to  Abmg- 
ton,  where  her  husband  was  contemporane- 
ous with  the  late  genial  and  warm-hearted 
Dr.  Nichols  and  the  venerable  and  much  es- 
teemed Dr.  Andrew  Bedford— now  living. 
For  twenty  years  she  assisted  her  husband 
in  the  arduous  duties  of  his  profession,  in- 
cident to  a  wide  practice  in  a  new  and 
sparsely  settled  region,  until  his  death  in 
1856,  riding  with  him  often  night  and  day 
to  visit  the  sick  and  adtnini-ter  to  the  wants 
of  the  distressed.  With  a  mind  keenly  sensi- 
tive to  tiie  needs  of  humanity,  with  a  heart 
charitable  and  ever  sympathetic  with  suffer- 
ing, and  with  an  energy  that  never  Magged 
nor  faltered,  her  active  life  abounded  in 
good  deeds.  8he  was  the  mother  of  the  late 
Chas.  Gorman,  M.  D.,  of  Pittston:  Mrs.  I.  V. 
Lynch,  of  Waverly,  and  Mrs.  D.  C.  Stanton, 
of  Abington. — Scranton  Republican. 


Half  a  Century  In  Old  Luzerne. 

Albert  Mc  Alpine,  whose  death  occured  at 
Pleasant  Valley  on  Jan.  19,  was  for  several 
years  a  resident  of  Wilkes-Barre  Township, 
and  was  well-known  to  the  older  portion  of 
our  citizens.  He  was  a  native  of  Winchester, 
Connecticut,  was  born  April  23,  1313,  and 
came  to  Wilkes-Barre  Wii en  20  years  of  age. 
For  a  time  he  assisted  his  brother,  Hiram 
McAlpine,  ii;  the  management  of  his  factory 
at  Laurel  Run.  where  the  latter  had  estab- 
lished a  turning  shop  in  connection  with  the 
business  of  manufacturing  scythe  snaths, 
hay-forks,  wooden  measures,  etc.,  on  an  ex- 
tensive scale,  by  the  aid  of  water  power  be- 
longing to  his  father-in-law,  Hezekiah  Par- 
sons, father  of  the  present  Calvin  Parsons, 
of  the  borough  of  that  name. 

He  removed  to  what  is  now  known  as 
Pleasant  ValU-y  when  the  whole  country  was 
a  wilderness  and  settled  on  a  tract  of  wild 
land,  but  farming  was  found  not  to  be  a  con- 
genial occupation  and  he  soon  started  the 
business  of  manufacturing  powder  kegs  and 
wooden  pails  by  machinery,  which  bn.-iness 
he  conducted  successfully  until  his  factory 
was  destroyed  by  tire,  in  which  he  sustained 
a  heavy  loss. 

He  was  thrice  married;  his  first  wife 
being  Mary  Ann  Wright,  daughter  of  Josiah 
Wright,  a  well-known  citizen  of  Wilkes- 
Barre.  No  issue  was  left  by  this  marriage, 
but  he  leaves  a  family  of  sons  and  daughters 
all  grown  to  man  and  womanhood:  three 
sons  of  the  second  wife,  and  two  daughters 
and  one  son  by  his  surviving  widow.  The 
deceased  was  an  honest,  conscientious  citi- 
zen, upright  and  just  to  all;  one  who,  after 
more  than  halt  a  century's  residence  and 
business  career  amongst  us.  has  left  to  his 
children  as  their  chiefest  inheritance  an  un- 
sullied reputation. 

In  speaking  of  the  death  of  Albert  McAl- 
pine recently  Opt.  Calvin  Parsons  re- 
marked that  in  38~8  the  former's  brother, 
Hiram,  came  to  Wyoming  Valley  ou  a  busi- 
ness trip  and  sold  Mr.  Parsons'  father  a 
shingle  machine,  the  trip  resulting  not  only 
in  the  sale  but  in  Mr.  M.'s  falling  in  love 
with  his  customer's  daughter,  whom  he 
married  three  years  later.  In  1833  Calvin 
Par-ons  was  on  one  of  his  carriage  trips 
from  Wilkes-Barre  to  Connecticut  and  while 
at  New  Marlboro  he  met  his  brother-in-law, 
Albert  McAlpine.  who  rode  back  to  Wyom- 
ing Valley  with  him.  Mr.  Parsons  speaks 
in  the  highest  terms  of  deceased  and  states 
that  the  friendship  formed  in  that  early  day 
was  never  dimmed  for  a  moment  by  the 
Lapsing  years  and  that  in  his  death  the 
community  lost  an  upright  and  useful  citi- 
zen. 

The  funeral  of  Mr.  McAlpine  took  place  at 
the  Presbyterian  Church,  Pleasant  Valley, 
January     21,      and     a      large    concourse 


84 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


of  people  Attended.  The  exercises  were  con- 
ducted by  Rev.  Dr.N.  G.  Parke  ,assi*ted  by  the 
resident  pastors  of  the  borough.  Dr.  Parke 
made  h  most  feeling  address  and  all  the  peo- 
ple were  deeply  moved,  deceased  having 
been  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  all  elapses 
of  people  in  Pleasant  Valley,  Interment 
was  in  the  burying  ground  adjoining  the 
church.  w.  J. 


Valuable   Newspaper  Relic. 

Dr.  Throop,  of  Scranton,  is  the  owner  of 
a  valuable  relic  of  Pennsylvania  journalism 
in  the  shape  of  a  file  of  the  famous  Porcu- 
pine's Gazette,  which,  for  a  time,  the  great 
historian  and  grammarian,  William  Cobbett, 
made  famous.  This  file  dates  from  June 
15, 1797,  to  Oct.  18,  1797,  and  is  remarkably 
well  preserved,  which  latter  fact  is  partly  due 
to  the  excellent  care  the  doctor  has  taken  of 
the  papers,  and  partly  from  the  fact  that  the 
paper  is  hand-made  and  has  a  "body"  which 
cannot  be  found  in  latter  day  papers. 

The  proprietor  states  in  a  modest  headline 
that  his  paoer  "is  published  every  evening 
by  William  Cobbett,  opposite  Christ's 
Church."  The  news  published  in  the  papers 
alluded  to,  consists  chiefly  of  the  proceedings 
of  Congress,  which  at  that  time  field  its  ses- 
sions in  Philadelphia,  and  letters  from  a  few 
European  capitals.  Among  the  advertise- 
ments is  one  signed  by  the  publisher  offer- 
ing a  reward  of  S>500  for  the  detection  of 
"any  postmaster  or  deputy"  who  tampered 
with  the  Gazette  while  it  w<  s  en  route  to  its 
subscribers.  Such  work  seems  to  have  been 
prevalent  in  those  days,  and  Air.  Cobbett 
stigmatizes  it  as  "dasrardly  and  as^assin- 
like."— 'Republican. 


Letter  from  Mr.   Yaringttm. 

In  a  letter  to  the  Record  under  date  of 
Carbondale,  Jan.  15,  Mr.  Dilton  Yariugton 
says: 

Enclosed  you  will  find  stamps  sufficient  to 
pay  for  two  of  your  almanacs.  I  am  just 
getting  up  from  a  severe  coin  and  attack  of 
rheumatism,  that  has  confined  me  to  the 
house  more  than  a  month.  I  improve  slow- 
ly indeed. 

Since  writing  the  above  I  received  the  last 
week's  Rncoim,  in  which  I  noticed  the  death 
of  Judge  Charles  T.  Barnum.  In  1823  Sloan 
Hamilton  was  editor  of  a  paper  at  'Jnndaff, 
called  the  DundafT  Republican.  Charles  T. 
Barnum  was  his  apprentice.  He  was  a 
slender  little  fellow,  v^ry  bright  and  in^e'li 
gent,  and  wa^  much  loved  and  respected  by 
Mr.  Hamilton's  family,  and  everybody  else 
that  became  acquainted  .vith  him.  1  re- 
member his  parents  well,  when  they  lived  in 
Kingston,  when  Charles  was  a  little  boy,  in 
1817  and  1818. 


The  Pennsylvanlan'a  Lament. 

Many  of  our  readers  will  remember  Char" 
les  W.  Foster,  who  about  1872  or  1873  came 
here  from  Mauch  Chunk  and  kept  a  music 
store  on  Market  Street  inChahoon  Hall  build- 
ing. Vv.  Poster,  who  is  a  brother  of  Mrs. 
Thorn;, s  VV.  Brown,  of  this  city,  soon  after 
went  into  Philadelphia  journalism  as  a 
reporter  on  the  Press,  becoming  managing 
editor  of  the  JSvtning  News  in  the  centen- 
nial year  and  in  ib^3  being  called  to  the 
same  position  on  the  Call,  then  starting. 
The  loss  of  his  wile  in  1885,  a  young  writer 
known  as  "Florida  Hale,"  was  a  blow  which 
for  a  time  crushed  him  in  body  and  brain 
and  he  was  an  invalid  for  a  year.  During 
last  year,  however,  he  accepted  a  position  on 
the  Omaha  World  wh*»re  he  is  winning 
laurels  as  a  humorist.  The  Omaha  Republi- 
can speaks  of  him  as  "of  a  quiet,  retiring 
dispo-ition,  as  near  a  reclnsj  as  it  is  possi- 
ble for  a  newspaper  writer  to  become,  and  of 
a  thoughtful,  serious  nature,  more  given  to 
philosophy  than  fun.  He  takes  little  pride 
in  his  humorous  work,  but  it  has  from  the 
fir.^t  been  extensively  quoted,  not  only 
throughout  the  United  States  but  in  Canada 
and  England.  He  proposes,  he  says,  to 
stick  to  it  until  the  public  becomes  as  tired 
of  it  as  he  is." 

The  latest  we  have  seen  from  his  pen  is  the 
following,  entitled  "The  Pennsylvanian's 
Lament:" 

How  sweet  to  my  ears  are  the  names  of  my  child 
hood, 

The  names  Pennsylv^inians  worship  for  aye. 
Aboriginal  cognomens  heard  in  the  wildwood 

When  Indians  traversed  the  Minnequa  way — 
Tnnkhannock,  Tamaqua  and  KockeiiLiock-qna, 

Tamanend,  Tobyhanna  and  Tonawan-da, 
Meshoppen,  Tomensing  nnd  Catasaw-qua, 

1  love  yon,  I  greet  you,  sweet  sounds  of  PA. 

How  mountain  and  meadow,  and  rill  and  ravine. 

The  bro-'d  Susquehanna  and  \\  [.omir.ir's  my, 
Spring  forth  in  the   landscape  by  memory  8°en — 

The  Lehigh,  the  Schuylkill  and  Lackawan-na, 
Lycoming,  irihamokin,  Monongahe-la, 

Kittann  ng,  Perkasie  and  Shenando-a, 
Towamencin — another,   riot    spelled    the   same 
way— 

I  love  you,  I  greet  you,  sweet  sounds  of  PA. 

Th<>  rivulet's  warble  and  the  cataract's  roar. 

The  names  that  L  cherish  wherever  1  Btray— 
Manayunk,  Oonshohocken.  Mbnococy-more, 
Nantieoke,    Kittatinny.     Shickshinny,     Hey! 

Day  ! 
How  heart  leaps  attention  of  (atawis-sa, 
Mahauoy,  Xesquehonintr,  how  soothing  the  lay! 
Lackawaxen.       Shackarnaxen,      Perkiomen  — 
what,  pray. 
Is  sweeter  than   Mauch  Chunk   (.Mockchunk  so 
they  say)- 
I  love  you,  1  greet  you,  sweet  sounds  of  PA. 


Illinois  has  a  citizen  named  Gotobed.    He 
is  in  no  danger  of  being  a  night  editor. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


85 


WILLIAM  MILL  BUTLER. 

Sketch    of  a  Former    Wilkes-Barro    Jour- 
naliftt   Who    is    Winning    His    Way    to 

Funic. 

The  Rochester  correspondent  of  the  Buff- 
alo Express,  gives  the  following  sketch  of 
William  Mill  Butler,  a  former  well-known 
journalist  of  this  city: 

Few  men  are  better  known  in  this  city  and 
few  journalists  in  this  State  than  William 
Mill  Butler,  who  has  had  a  career  allotted  to 
him  the  like  of  which  probably  no  one  in 
his  profession  has  ever  experienced.  Very 
little  of  his  life  has  ever  been  made  public, 
although  tho  Journalist  has  had  one  or  two 
articles  about  him.  At  a  very  early  age  Mr. 
Butler  became  fully  acquainted  with  the  hard 
lot  in  life  awaiting  him.  He  was  but  little 
o\  er  eight  years  eld  when  he  was  sent  to  work 
in  a  coal  breaker.  At  six  he  had  already 
been  taught  by  hi3  mother  to  read  German 
and  English.  At  twelve  he  went  to  work  in 
the  mines.  For  two  years  he  lived  su  under- 
ground life,  gaining  an  experience  which  I 
understand  will  be  found  portrayed  in  a 
novel  which  he  has  nearly  completed.  At 
fourteen,  in  January,  1872,  he  met  the  fate 
of  so  many  of  the  workers  in  tne  mines, 
being  run  over  and  crushed  by  a  loaded  car. 
After  some  weeks  he  recovered  and  returned 
to  work  in  the  mines  but  in  a  few  days 
broke  down.  A  relative  took  him  to  Canada, 
where  he  was  sent  to  pchool.  He  was  cierk, 
bookkeeper  and  cashier  for  a  time,  and  be- 
gan verse-writing.  His  contributions 
brought  him  to  the  notice  of  Mr.  B.  H.  Pratt, 
then  city  editor  of  the  Scranton  Daily  Times. 
The  result  was  that  he  entered  the  employ 
of  that  paper.  He  conducted  the 
Wilkes-Barre  department  of  the  Scranton 
Times  for  over  six  months.  He  became  city 
editor  of  the  Wilkes-Barre  Daily  Record,  but 
overworked  himself  and  again  broke  down. 
In  March,  1877,  he  became  local  editor  of 
the  Gait,  Ont.,  Reformer,  acting  as  corres- 
pondent for  the  Hamilton,  (Ont.)  Daily 
Spectator,  and  contributing  humorous  arti- 
cles and  verses  to  Grip,  the  Canadian 
Puck.  Returning  to  Pennsylvania  in 
June,  1878,  ho  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  Berwick  Independent.  In  1879 
he  begai  the  satire  Pantaletta,  the 
authorship  of  which  has  never  before  been 
divulged.  In  that  year  he  became  a  member 
of  the  staff  of  the  Evening  Express  in  this 
city.  He  has  since  held  various  positions 
on  tho  Rochester  press.  He  wrote  a  hoax 
concerning  an  alleged  case  in  court, 
in  which  the  details  were  given  of 
the  trial  and  conviction  of  a  >ouug 
lady  for  wearing  a  high  hat  at  the 
theatre  and  obstructing  the  view  of  a 
spectator.  So  circumstantial  was  the  sketch 
that  it    deceived  hundreds    of    people  who 


flocked  to  the  court  house  next  day  to  hear 
Muifl  Viola  Wcatherwax  sentenced.  It  caused 
a  sensation  throughout  the  country.  Even 
as  experienced  a  journalist  as  James  Foster 
Coates,  of  New  York,  telegraphed  for  parti- 
culars. And  away  out  in  Kansas  City  two 
lawyers  got  into  a  dispute  over  the  facts  in 
the  case,  winding  up  with  a  wager,  which 
was  duly  decided  by  a  member  of  the  Roches- 
ter bar,  who  was  applied  to  in  writing.  For 
some  months  he  has  given  his  time  mainly 
to  literary  work.  Ho  is  compiling  a  drama- 
tic dictionary,  publishes  the  Pythian  Knight, 
and  is  writing  a  play  and  a  novel. 


Was  President  Polk  in  AYilkets-Itarre? 

The  New  York  Sv.n  has  an  article  on  an 
old  gentleman,  Elias  Folk,  who  lately  died 
in  Nashville  at  the  age  of  80,  and  whose 
claim  to  distinction  rested  upon  the  fa^t 
that  he  was  a  slave  in  the  Folk  family  and 
was  body  servant  to  President  Polk.  We 
clip  a  portion,  though  remarking  that  the 
older  inhabitants  do  not  recall  any  such 
visit  of  President  Polk  to  the  Wyoming 
Valley: 

When  Eli  as  was  about  12  years  old  he  was 
given  as  a  valet  to  James  K.  Polk,  then  a 
young  man  in  college,  and  from  that  time 
till  the  President  died  the  two  were  hardly 
separated  for  a  week  at  one  time.  In  those 
days  all  journeys  had  to  be  made  by 
horse  conveyance.  It  was  Elias's  custom  to 
drive  his  master  in  his  carnage  to  Washing- 
ton. The  tirst  journey  was  made  in  182t3, 
when  James  K.  Folk  was  elected  member  of 
Congress.  On  one  of  these  trips,  after  the 
Tennessean  had  become  President,  a  night 
was  spent  in  Wilkes-Barre,  Pa.  The  next 
morning,  while  Elias  was  in  the  stable  get- 
ting his  horses  ready,  several  white  men  ap- 
proached him  and  asked  him  if  he  didn't 
know  he  was  free. 

They  told  him  that  he  was  in  a  State  where 
a  man  could  not  hold  slaves,  and  all  he  had 
to  do  was  to  leave  and  his  master  couldn't 
do  a  thing. 

"Do  you  think  I  would  go  back  on  de 
President  dat  way?  No,  sir.  You  don't 
know  me.     I'd  sooner  die  than  run  off." 

Tho  President  happened  to  be  near  and 
heard  this.  He  was  greatly  pleased,  and  the 
next  day  surprised  his  faithful  valet  by 
speaking  of  it,  and  told  him  whenever  he 
wanted  his  freedom  he  couid  have  it.  When 
his  master  died  Eiias  remained  with  the 
family  until  after  the  war. 


At  the  January  meeting  of  the  Oneida,  N. 
Y.,  Historical  Society  that  organization  did 
our  townsman,  Hon.  E.  L.  Dana,  the  honor 
of  electing  him  to  corresponding  member- 
ship. 


86 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECOUP. 


Anthropophagy. 

'The  Reoobd  is  in  receipt  from  Charles  W. 
Darling,  corresponding  secretary  of  the 
Oneida  Historical  Society,  Utica,  N.  Y.,  of 
an  interesting  47  page  pamphlet  on  "An- 
thropophagy, Historic  and  Prehistoric."  Gen. 
Darling  is  an  industrious  delver  in  antiquar- 
ian matters,  and  this  pamphlet,  printed  for 
private  circulation  is  of  particular  interest. 
In  it  he  traces  man-eating,  from  the  earliest 
times,  even  from  the  Cyclops  of  the  Odyssey, 
through  many  nations  down  to  the  latest 
known  instances  of  cannibalism,  as  in  ship- 
wrecks and  other  emergencies  where  life 
could  be  sustained  iu  no  other  way,  and 
among  the  savages  of  the  African  continent. 
The  author  states  that  the  North  American 
Indians  frequently  banqueted  on  human 
flesh.  The  Algouquins  were  wont  to  feed  on 
the  dead  bodies  of  their  enemies,  in  the  be- 
lief that  by  devouring  the  flesh  and  blood  of 
fallen  foes,  the  eaters  became  possessed  of 
their  bravery.  There  also  seems  to  be  evi- 
dence that  the  Iroquois  were  cannibals  to  a 
certain  extent,  as  were  the  Mohawks,  in  fact 
the  literal  meaning  of  "Mohawk1'  i>  said  to 
be  man-eater.  The  Ottawas  are  said  to  have 
devoured  an  occasional  missionary  of  the 
Jesuits,  while  the  Hurons  were  wont  to  feed 
on  the  roasted  hearts  of  their  prisoners,  the 
information  coming  from  17th  century 
Jesuit  fathers  who  were  eye  witnesses  of 
these  practices. 

Gen.  Darling  promises  another  paper,  on 
Prehistoric  Alan,  in  which  he  will  present 
many  facts  heretofore  unpublished.  It  also 
will  be  privately  printed. 

Lack  of  Historical  Interest. 

The  Germantown  Telegraph  has  a  corre- 
spondent. '"Iron  Mask,"  who  writes  thus 
forcibly  of  a  lack  of  interest  in  historical 
matters  in  c:a  Bucks  County,  and  as  the 
remarks  are  equally  applicable  in  old  Lu- 
zerne we  reprint  them: 

The  session  of  the  Historical  Society  was 
very  slirnly  attended.  A  man  must  become 
a  little  musty  before  he  take*  any  interest  in 
local  history.  It  is  something  like  local 
geography.  All  school  children  know  more 
about  Timbuctoo  and  many  countries  of  un- 
pronouncable  names  than  they  do  of  the 
country  they  live  in.  Any  question  of  local 
geography  is  a  poser  to  urchins.  If  you 
want  to  strike  a  public  school  dumb,  ask  it 
to  find  the  township  the  school  is  situated  in, 
or  to  name  any  considerable  number  of 
townships  or  me  county.  I  do  not  know 
that  it  is  of  the  last  importance  that  child- 
ren should  know  the^e  things,  norno  I  deem 
it  fatal  to  the  child  if  he  fails  to  tell  au  ex- 
amining committee  how  high  Mount  Shasta 
is,  or  how  far  Pekin  is  from  Honolulu.  So 
it  is  with  local  history,.      Few  people  of  any 


locality  know  or  caro  much  about  it.  Young 
people  do  not  pay  the  slightest  attention  to 
it.  Hence  it  will  be  noticed  that  the  per- 
sons who  take  any  active  interest  in  such 
matters  are  old  fellows,  or  young  fellows 
with  abnormal  old  tastes.  It  cannot  be  ex- 
pected that  a  local  Historical  Society  will 
attract  a  large  crowd  until  the  younger 
strata  of  society  begin  to  manifest  a  human 
interest  in  it. 


Coal  Sixty-Four  Years  Ago. 
|  Extract  from  Harrisburg Chronicle,  Dec.2,1822.] 
''Stone  Coal.  It  is  stated  in  the  Philadel- 
phia papers  that  a  large  quantity  of  Lehigh 
coal  lately  arrived  at  that  city  which  was 
selling  at  S3  40  per  ton.  The  Now  York 
papers  in  noticing  this,  preface  it  with  cheap 
fuel,  and  b.o  it  is.  But  at  Harrisburg  it  is 
much  cheaper,  and  on  the  completion  of  the 
Union  Canal  it  will  be  much  cheaper  at 
Philadelphia  likewise.  The  late  freshet 
gave  an  opportunity  to  our  fellow  citizens  of 
Luzerne  County  to  bring  down  the  Susque- 
hanna coal,  of  which  they  have  inexhausti- 
ble beds  of  the  same  description  with  the 
Lehigh  coal— -it  sold  out  of  the  arks  at  less 
than  S4  per  ton,  and  is  retailed  at  S4. 25. 
Water  communication  through  to  Philadel- 
phia being  established,  would  reduce  the 
price  there  at  least  25  per  cent." 


Paper  Currency  of  05  Years  Ago. 

Following  is  the  sort  of  ''paper  money"  we 
had  in  1822  and  for  the  benefit  of  their  sub- 
scribers the  newspapers  published  every 
week  the  amount  of  discount  or  depreciation 
in  the  exchangeable  value  of  the  banks'  bills. 
The  other  States  made  a  worse  show  than 
did  Pennsylvania  and  New  York.  The  next 
year  Milton  rose  to  17,  Centre,  Greensburg 
and  Brownsville  rose  to  6  each.  Yon  will 
notice  two  Canada  banks  in  the  New  York 
list.  The  figures  are  taken  from  the  Phila- 
delphia Ban};  Note  Exchange,  Dec.  5,  1822: 

State  of  New  York  banks — kew  York  City 
banks,  par;  J.  Barker's,  no  sale:  Washington 
and  Warren,  do:  Albany,  Troy.  Mohawkand 
ijansingbnrg,  1  cent  discount:  Newburg, 
Catskill,  Middle  District,  Auburn,  Utica, 
Geneva,  Col.  at  Hudson,  Orange  County, 
Ontario  at  Utica,  one  and  a  half  cents  dis- 
count: Plattsburg,  3  cents:  Canada  and 
Montreal,  5  cents. 

Pennsylvania  banks— Philadelphia,  Har- 
risburg, Reading,  Farmer's  Laur.  Easton, 
Northampton,  Germantown,  Montgomery 
County,  Delaware  County,  Bucks  County, 
Chester  County,  Lancaster,  New  Hope 
Bridge  Co.,  i:  Carlisle,  York  and  Chambers- 
burg,  each.  l}4\  Gettysburg  and  Pittsburg, 
each.  2;  Milton.  20;  Centre,  30;  Greensburg, 
8;  Brownsville,  8.  n.  b.  p. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


8? 


BUSINESS  MEN  OF  1818. 

Recollections  of  Dllton  Yarington,  of 
Curbondale,  Giving1  r  Directory  of 
Wilkes- Itarre  as  it  was  !u  His  IJoy. 
Jiood  Pay 8. 

Diltoa  Yarington,  Esq.,  of  Carboudale, 
was  a  Wilkes-Barrean  iu  his  younger  days, 
aud  though  now  advanced  iu  years  he  is  fond 
of  recalling  the  past  aud  of  putting  his 
recollections  on  naper.  Our  readers  have 
only  recently  been  favored  with  something 
from  his  pen.  Nearly  20  years  ago  he  wrote 
for  the  Record,  and  we  take  pleasure  in  re- 
printing some  of  the  matter  furnished  at 
that  time,  for  the  reason  that  many  of  our 
readers  have  never  seen  it  and  for  another 
reason,  that  very  few  have  access  to  files, 
even  the  Record  oilice  having  no  complete 
file.  The  letter  we  refer  to  is  dated  Carbon- 
dale,  Dec.  14,  18GS.  In  commenting  on  the 
list  of  business  men  of  1818,  he  omits  him- 
self, Wm.  S.  Ross,  Lord  Butler,  Jr.,  Charles 
Tracy,  Washington  Ewing,  Jacob  E.  Teetor, 
Chester  A.  Colt  and  David  Connor,  as  being 
mere  youths;  Noah  Wadhams  and  Jo  hua 
Green,  as  not  residents  of  Wilkes-Barre  in 
1818;  Rev.  Ard,  Hoyt,  he  having  gone  as  a 
missionary  among  the  Indians  in  1817.  In 
his  list  he  includes  Abram  Pike,  "the  Indian 
slayer,"  who  though  not  strictly  a  business 
man  in  1818,  was  yet  a  very  important  busi- 
ness man  for  his  country  in  the  time  of  her 
greatest  need.  "No  man  then  living  had 
rendered  greater  services  to  his  country 
during  the  Indian  wars  than  he.  His  name  is 
familiar  to  all  who  have  read  Miner's  'His- 
tory of  Wyoming.' " 

court  in  1818. 
Thomas    Barnside,    president    jadga,    to 
August  Term,    1818,  at  which    term    David 
Scott    became    president    judge,     Matthias 
Hollenback  aud  Jesse  Fell,  associates. 

BUSINESS   AND   PROFESSIONAL,   MEN. 

John  P.  Arndt,  landlord,  shipbuilder,  etc. 

Philip  Abbott,  farmer. 

Abial  Abbott,  carpenter  and  joiner. 

Nathan  Allen,  carpenter. 

H.  C.  Anhiser,  merchant. 

Lloyd  Alkins,  carpenter. 

William  Apple,  carpenter. 

Ziba  Bennett,  merchant's  clerk. 

John  L.  Butler,  coal  operator. 

Burton  Butler,  farmer. 

Lord  Butler,  merchant,  Doal  operator,  etc. 

Steuben  Butler,  printer. 

Chester  Butler,  lawyer. 

Zebulon  Butler,  farmer. 

Pierce  Butler,  farmer. 

Eleazer  Blackman,  farmer. 

John  Bettle,  cashier  of  bank. 

Samuel  D.  Bettle,  silversmith. 

Nathan  Barney,  farmer. 

Andrew  Bolles,  farmer. 


Stephen  Bowles,  bookkeeper. 
Jonathan  Bulkeley,  sheriff. 
Eliphalet    A.    Bulkeley,   clerk  and    book- 
keeper. 

Anthony  Brower,  tailor. 

Thomas  Brown,  farmer. 

William  Brown,  distiller. 

Brittania  Barnes,  merchant. 

Aaron  Batj ,  painter. 

Moses  Beamer,  ferryman  and  laborer. 

Isaac  Bowman,  tanner  and  currier. 

Samuel  Bowman,  farmer  and  tanner. 

William  L.  Bowman,  tanner  and  currier. 

Gilbert  Barnes,  carpenter. 

Alexander  H.  Bowman,  U.  S.  Cadet. 

Horatio  Bowman.  

James  VV.  Bowman,  lawyer. 

Ebenezer  Bowman,  lawyer. 

Andrew  Beaumont,  postmaster. 

Henry  Barrackman,  farmer. 

Job  Barton,  carpenter. 

William  and  George  Blane,  farmers. 

Thomas  Bartlett,  school  teacher. 

Josiah  Brown,  butcher. 

Milts  B.  Benedict,  hatter. 

Gideon  Bebeo,  ferryman. 

William  Bolton,  carpenter. 

Elisha  Blackman,  cabinet  maker. 

Oristus  Collins,  lawyer. 

Putnam  Catlin,  lawyer. 

Charles  Catlin,  lawyer. 

George  Chahoon,  carpenter  and  joiner. 

A.  0.  Chahoon,  merchant. 

Daniel  Collings,  silversmith. 

Mason  Crary,  doctor. 

Edward  Coveli,  doctor. 

Arnold  Colt,  justice  of  peace. 

Henry  Colt,  surveyor. 

Harris  Colt,  U.  S.  soldier. 

John  Cary,  farmer. 

Eleazer  Carey,  justice  of  peace. 

George  Clymer,  merchant. 

William  Cox,  painter. 

John  Covert,  laborer. 

Richard  Covert,  stage  driver. 

Joseph  H.   Chapman,   

Edward  Chapman,  

Isaac  A.  Chapman,  author. 
Jacob  Cist,  merchant. 

John  Carkhutf, . 

Thomas  J.  Carkhuff,  sheriff. 

Daniel  Colkglazer,  school  teacher. 

Samuel  Colnglazer,  plasterer. 

Hugh  and  Cornelius   Connor,   carpenters. 

John  and  Peter  Connor,  carpenters. 

George  Denison,  lawyer. 

Thomas  Dyer,  lawyer. 

James  Dickens,  Revolutionary  soldier. 

John  and  Robert  Downer,  U    S  .   soldier^. 

Anderson  and  Francis  Dana,  farmers. 

Chester  Dana,  river  pilot. 

Jonathan  and  Batetuau  Downing,  farmers. 

Reuben  aod  Dauiel  Downing,  farmers. 

Jonathan  and  David  Dale,  shoemakers. 

Eli  and  Aaron  Downing,  farmers. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Josse  Downing,  farmer. 

F.  Dnpny,  tobacco  and  confectionery, 
•lames  Decker,  farmer. 

Jacob  J.  Dennis,  cabinet  maker. 
William  Dennis,  gunsmith. 
Thomas  Davidge,  shoe  maker. 
John  Davis,  farmer. 
Thomas  Dow,  farmer. 
Joseph  Davis,  carpenter. 
Lewis  Du  Shong,  merchant. 
Lonis  Delamauon,  merchant. 
Benj.  Drake,  blacksmith. 
Hiram  Eicke,  carpenter. 
Geo.  Eicke,  teamster. 
John  Ewing,  court  crier. 
Thomas,  James  and  Geo.  Ely,  stage   pro- 
prietors. 
George  Evaus,  lawyer. 
Jesse  Fell,  associate  judge. 
Samuel  Fell,  carpenter. 
Edward  Fell,  blacksmith. 
Abel  Flynt,  tombstone  maker. 
Jabez  Fish,  farmer  and  teamster. 
Georgo  Graves,  laborer. 
James  Gridley,  constable,  etc. 
Job  Gibbs,  carpenter. 
John  Greenawalt,  miller  and  farmer. 
Gordon  Graves,  tailor. 
Luman  Gilbert,  laborer. 
Dominick  Germain,  merchant. 
Hugh  Gorman,  laborer. 
Matthias  Hollenback,  associate  judge. 

G.  M.  Hollenback,  merchant  and  banker. 
Jonathan  Hancock,  landlord. 

James  Hancock,  farmer. 
Wm.  and  John  Hancock,  farmers. 
Thomas  Hutchins,  harness  maker. 
John  Hannis,  farmer  and  teamster. 
Joseph  Hitchcock,  carpenter. 
George  Hotchkiss,  painter. 
Jacob  Hart,  sheriff. 

William  Hart,  . 

Abram  Hart,  shoemaker. 

George  Haines,  county  surveyor. 

Isaac  Hartzell,  justice  of  the  peace. 

Miller  Horton.  stage  proprietor. 

Jessie  and  Lewis  Horton,  stage  proprietors 

Matthias  Hoffman,  shoemaker. 

Oliver  Helme,  landlord. 

James  C.  Helme,  cabinet  maker. 

Patrick  Hepburn,  saddler. 

Lewis  Hepburn,  lawyer. 

Joseph  Huckle,  distiller. 

Jacob  Hulz,  hatter. 

Lathan  W.  Jones,  doctor. 

Joel  and  Joseph  Jones,  school  teachers. 

Amasa  Jones,  manufacturer. 

Jehoida  F.  Johnson,  miller  and  farmer. 

John  Jameson,  Spring  House  keeper. 

John  M.  Kienzle.  high  constable. 

Jacob  Kilhliue,  baker. 

Jacob  Kyte  or  Coit,  laborer. 

Jacob  Kntz,  tailor. 

Caleb  Kendall,  miuister. 

Lewis  Ketchain,  painter. 


Gilbert  and  Glovor  Laird,  shoemakers. 

Georgo  Lane,  minister. 

James  Lukor,  shoemaker. 

Josiah  Levis,  surveyor. 

Elam  Lowry,  Loid  Butler's  teamster. 

Henry  F.  Lamb,  druggist. 

Peter  P.  Loon,  merchant. 

Washington  Lee,  lawyer. 

Charles  Minor,  printer.  [Left about  1816.] 

Thomas  W.  Miner,  doctor. 

Joshua  Miner,  stone  mason. 

John  Miller,  soxton. 

Garrick  Mallory,  lawyer. 

Francis  McShaue,  cut  nail  maker. 

Shepherd  Marble,  cut  nail  maker. 

Thomas  Morgan,  landlord,  stage  proprie- 
tor. 

William  Miller,  laborer. 

Joseph  McCoy,  cashier  and  poet. 

Felix  McGaigen,  laborer. 

Abrara  Mock,  landlord. 

Samuel  Maffet,  printer. 

Simon  Monega,  laborer. 

Thomas  Nutting,  laborer. 

John  Ogden, 

Thomas  B.  Overton,  lawyer. 

Abrara  Pike,  Indian  killer. 

Godfrey  PVrry,  bookkeeper. 

Benjamin  Perry,  transcribing  clerk,  H. 
of  R. 

Titus  Prime,  colored, 

Thompson  Price,  cooper. 

Nathan  Palmer,  lawyer. 

Thos.  Patterson,  blacksmith. 

Archippus  Parrish,  landlord. 

Geo.  Peck,  minister. 

Thomas  Quick, 

WTilliam  Russell,  potter. 

William  Ross,  farmer. 

A.  H.  Reeder,  landlord. 

Francis  Rainow, 

David  and  William  Richards,  farmers. 

Elijah  Richards,  farmer. 

Geo.  Root,  stage  driver. 

Philip  Rymer,  cloth  dresser. 

Samuel  Raub,  farmer. 

John  Raymond  laborer. 

Joel  Rogers,  minister. 

Peter  and  Jack  Rafferty,  laborer. 

Jacob  Rudolph,  shoemaker. 

David  Ssott.  president  judge. 

Joseph  and  Zebulon  Slocum,  blacksmiths. 

Jonathan  Slocum,  farmer. 

Zura  Smith,  druggist. 

Hemy  and  George  Sively,  farmers. 

Benj.  St.  John, . 

Jacob  and  Joseph  Sinton,  merchants. 

Jacob  Sills,  farmer. 

Abram  Tolls,  wagon  maker. 

Conrad  Teetor,  harness  maker. 

G.  W.  Trott.  doctor. 

Stephen  Tuttle,  merchant. 

Henry  Tillbury,  farmer  and  teamster. 

Peleg  Tracy,  gentleman. 

Sydney  Tracy,  farmer. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD 


89 


Edwin  Tracy,  harness  maker. 

Charles  Taintor,  painter. 

Abram  Thomas,  merchant. 

Edmund  Taylor,  harness  maker. 

Bariiet  UIp',  hotter, 

M.  Van  Zeek,  doctor. 

Andrew  Vogle,  hatter. 

Philip  Weeks,  tanner. 

ISeth  Wilson,  tailor. 

Phineas  Waller,  farmer  and  distiller. 

Lewis  Worrell,  potter. 

Moses  Wood,  farmer. 

Isaac  Williams,  basket  maker. 

Asa  C.  Whitney,  doctor. 

Josiah  Wright,  printer  and  editor. 

Thomas  Wright,  farmer. 

William  Wright,  school  teacher 

Joseph  Wright,  doctor. 

Daniel  White,  wagon  maker. 

Rosevvell  Wells,  lawyer. 

Ranslaer  Wells,  blacksmith. 

Winthroo  Wells,  merchant. 

Conrad  Wickizer,  farmer  and  teamster. 

Peter  and  Luther  Yarington,  blacksmith. 

Henry  Young,  gunsmith. 


An  Old  Academy  Tupil  Dead. 
Dr.  George  Firman  Horton  died  in  Brad- 
ford County,  December  20,  1680,  having 
reached  within  a  few  days,  the  advanced  age 
of  81  years.  He  was  born  1806,  and  was 
the  ninth  child  of  Major  John  and  Deborah 
(Terry)  Horton.  His  mother's  father,  Par- 
shall  Terry,  was  one  of  the  first  forty  to  en- 
ter Wyoming  Valley  and  settle  in  Kingston, 
and  with  his  family,  was  in  Forty  Fort  at  the 
time  of  the  massacre.  His  mother,  at  this 
time,  was  11  years  of  age.  Dr.  Horton  wa* 
born  in  Terry  town,  and  at  the  age  of  17 
(1823)  he  gratified  his  thirst  for  knowledge 
by  going  on  foot  to  Wilkes-Barre,  a  distance 
of  sixty  miles,  where  he  entered  the  Wilkes- 
Barre  Academy,  then  in  charge  nf  Prof. 
Orton.  Here  he  was  a  classmate  of  the  late 
Hendrick  B.  Wright.  Later  he  received  a 
scientific  education  at  Van  Ransellaer  Poly- 
technic School,  at  Troy,  of  which  he  was  the 
oldest  living  graduate  (class  of  1827,)  at  the 
time  of  his  death.  He  read  medicine  with 
Dr.  Hayden,  of  Bramtrim,  now  Wyoming 
County,  and  in  1829  entered  upon  a  practice 
at  Terry  town,  which  became  large  and  lab- 
orious, achieving  a  wide  reputation  as  a 
skillful  physician,  In  1870  he  published  a 
genealogy  of  the  Horton  family,  an  elabor- 
ate work  of  some  400  pages.  He  was  an 
ardent  student  of  the  natural  sciences,  an  in- 
fluential temperance  and  anti-slavery  speak- 
er, a  prominent  leader  in  Presbyterian  cir- 
cles, and,  as  a  lengthy  sketch  in  the  Towanda 
Reporter-Journal  says,  "it  is  safe  to  say 
that  no  man  in  all  that  region  will  be  more 
greatly  missed,  or  was  more  greatly  loved  or 
more  imphcity  trusted  than   Dr.  "Horton." 


Of  thf>  several  surviving  daughters  one  ia  the 
wife  of  iho  well-known  historian  of  Brad  ord 
County,  Rev.  Dr.  David  Craft. 

The  Local  Historian. 
[North Wales  Record..] 
Iu  reference  to  the  statements  made  by 
local  historians,  we  sometimes  hear  the 
sneer:  ''He  never  gets  it  right."  Very 
likely  the  writer  has  made  some  error  in 
name  or  circumstance,  that  call  forth  such 
comment  from  those  unappreciative  of  the 
value  of  his  work.  These  thoughtless  critics, 
often  malicious  as  well  as  heedless,  never 
consider  the  vast  number  of  things  this  same 
writer  may  succeed  in  getting  rignt; 
many  things,  too,  that  otherwise 
would  nevor  have  been  preserved  at 
all.  Human  testimony  is  fallible, 
and  human  judgment  may  be  at  fault,  but 
there  is  not  one  of  these  local  writers  of 
history  but  who  honestly  endeavors  to  tell 
the  truth — as,  in  fact,  they  have  every  mo- 
tive to  do.  Theirs  is  largely  a  labor  of  love, 
at  best.  With  laborious  pains  ancient 
records  must  be  searched,  old  documents 
deciphered,  journeys  must  be  made,  testi- 
mony collected  from  living  witnesses,  and 
concerning  many  possible  suppositions  the 
possibilities  must  be  balanced.  2s"o 
one  would  bo  prompted  to  these  things 
except  he  had  innate  taste  and 
talent  for  vsuch  studies.  An  impor- 
tant work  for  historical  literature  is  being 
done  by  such  delvers.  They  turn  aside  from 
the  multitude  who  are  in  eager  pursuit  of 
the  selfish  good  of  the  present,  to  give  their 
attention  to  recording  and  preserving  what 
would  otherwise  pass  into  oblivion.  They 
go  down  into  minute  details  and  work  in  a 
humble  way  in  order  that  the  greater  writers 
of  the  future  may  have  the  material 
upon  which  to  build  a  broader,  nob- 
ler structure.  All  these  writers  of 
the  present  doubtless  fail  in  some  particulars, 
in  errors  of  date,  of  name,  in  omission  of 
some  particulars,  in  infelicities  of  style  or  in 
slips  of  grammar.  They  must  be  judged  by 
the  value  of  their  contributions  as  a  whole, 
and  not  by  their  trilling  mistakes.  The  pens 
of  those  who  so  glibly  criticise  will  probably 
never  contribute  anything  to  our  historical 
or  other  literature  that  is  worth   preserving. 


John  F.  Meginness,  editor  of  the  Williams- 
port  Gazette  and  Bulletin,  is  being  urged 
by  many  friends  to  issue  a  new  edition  of  his 
'•History  of  the  West  Branch  Valley,''  pub- 
lished over  30  years  ago  and  now  out  of 
print.  Correspondence  from  any  persons 
interested  in  the  matter  would  doubtless 
encourage  Mr.  Meginness  to  take  some  de- 
finite step. 


90 


Till-:  HISTORICAL  ktuCOUt). 


POSTMASTER  BOGERT  DEAD. 

After  a  Painful  Illness  of  Eight  WeeKS, 
and  a  ftrave  Battling  Against  Disease, 
lie  Falls  Into    11  is   Last    Sleep. 

Postmaster  Bogert  died  at  a  quarter  past 
11,  Thursday  night,  Feb.  3,  surrounded  by  his 
family  and  a  few  immediate  friends.  J  li - 
life  passed  out  painlessly,  the  pangs  of  dis- 
solution having  been  averted  by  reason  of  a 
benumbing  of  the  mental  faculties  oi  nearly 
a  week's  duration.  He  breathed  gently 
away  without  a  struggle. 

Joseph  Kirkendall  Bogert  was  born  at 
New  Columbus,  Luzerne  County,  July  l(j, 
1845,  and  was  consequently  almost  42  years 
of  age  at  the  time  of  his  death.  His  parents 
were  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  Bogert,  the 
former  of  whom  was  a  well  known  citizen  of 
that  part  of  the  county.  He  died  in  1881. 
The  mother  still  survives  and  resides  in  this 
city. 

The  Bogerts  are  of  Dntch  origin  and  came 
to  America  with  the  earliest  emigrants  from 
Holland,  settling  in  parts  of  New  York,  New 
Jersey  and  Pennsylvania.  Many  of  the  stock 
and  name  have  achieved  distinction  in  va- 
rious professions  aod  lines  of  business. 

Deceased  was  tho  fifth  of  nine  children, 
six  boys  and  three  girls,  and  this  is  the  first 
death  that  has  occurred  among  the  number. 

The  Bogerts  were  in  humble  circum- 
stances. Joseph  attended  the  public  schools 
at  New  Columbus  and  afterwards  entered 
the  Male  and  Female  Academy,  working  in 
his  father's  carriage-making  shop  and  on 
the  farms  in  the  vicinity  during  the  vaca- 
tions and  paying  for  part  of  his  tuition  in 
work  about  the  Academy  building. 

In  1863  he  was  Id  years  of  age.  On  June 
23  of  that  year,  he  enli-ted  and  was  mus- 
tered into  the  United  States  service  as  a 
private  in  the  28th  Pennsylvania 
militia.  This  regiment,  with  others,  was 
on  duty  in  this  State  and  in  Maryland  during 
the  invasion  of  the  north  by  the  Army  oi 
Northern  Virginia,  and  had  a  sharp  skirmish 
with  Fitz  Hugh  Lee's  forces  not  far  from 
Harrisburg  on  June  30.  The  regiment  was 
mustered  out  July  27th.  He  afterwards 
re-enlisted,  this  time  as  a  private  in  the 
United  States  Signal  Corns,  and  Was  muster- 
ed in  April  4,  1801.  He  washrst  assigned  to 
duty  in  the  campaign  against  hostile  Indians 
in  Missouri,  Kansas,  Arkansas  and  Indian 
Territory,  under  orders  from  Headquarters 
Army  of  the  Border.  Gen.  S.  R.  Curtis  com- 
manding. He  was  afterwards  in  the  cam- 
paign against  Trice  from  the  New 
to  the  Arkansas  River  on  the 
Missouri  and  Arkansas  border.  There 
were  engagements  at  Little  Blue  and 
Big  Bine  respectively  on  Oct.  21  and 22,  and 
later  on  at  many  other  points  on  the  route. 
He  was  sent  to  the  Department  of  the  North- 


west, after  tho  completion  of  the  campaign 
just  mentioned,  and  took  part  in  the  Indian 
expedition  up  the  Platte  and  Powder  Rivers, 
which  extended  from  July  1  to  Nov.  4,  and 
covered  over  2,500  miles  of  previously  un- 
explored territory,  and  was  attended  by 
many  hardships  and  dangers.  He  was  finally 
mustered  out  Dec.  9,  18C>.j,  at  Fort  Leaven- 
worth, Kansas. 

Returning  to  New  Colnmbus  he  studied 
with  Rev.  Furman,  a  Baptist  minister  of  the 
vicinity,  with  a  view  to  fitting  himself  for 
the  University  at  Lewisburg,  at  which  latter 
institution  he  soon  afterwards  completed  his 
studies,  here  as  at  New  Columbus,  paying  in 
rare  for  his  tuition  by  labor  about  the  build- 
ing. After  his  graduation  he  came  to 
Wilkes-B^rre  and  entered  the  office  of  Hon. 
C.  E.  Wright  as  a  student  at  law.  He  re- 
mained here  nearly  a  year,  earning  his  liveli- 
hood, meanwhile  us  a  correspondent  for  the 
Associated  Press,  the  Scranton  Tones  and 
other  papers.  Then  he  was  offered  and  ac- 
cepted a  position  as  assistant  clerK  in  the  of- 
fice of  Geo.  go  P.  R  chartis,  clerk  of  the 
courts,  and  soon  afterwards  was  pro- 
moted to  charge  of  the  office.  At  the 
expiration  of  Mr.  Richards'  term,  in  1874, 
he  was  appointed,  through  the  infinence  of 
Jud^e  Rhone  deputy  clerk  of  the  Orphans' 
Court,  being  the  first  incumbent  of  that  of- 
fice. While  serving  in  this  capacity  he  was 
nominated  by  the  Democrats  for  the  regis- 
tership  and  at  the  ensuing  election  (1875) 
was  elected  by  an  enormous  majority, 
several  others  on  the  same  ticket  being  de- 
feated. 

In  July.  1876,  the  publication  of  the  Lu- 
zerne Leader,  a  weekly,  was  begun  in  Pitts- 
ton  by  E.  A.  Niven  and  C.  H.  Chamberlin. 
In  February  of  the  following  year  it  was 
removed  to  Wilkes-Barre,  having  been  pur- 
chased by  Mr.  Bogert,  associated  with  Geo. 
B.  Kulp,  Esq.  The  publication  was  con- 
tinued in  the  Corn  Exchange  Building 
until  January,  1879,  when  Robert  &  Kulp, 
(under  the  name  of  the  Leader  Publishing 
Co.,)  purchased  and  consolidated  with  it  the 
old  Luzerne  Union,  which  h;.d  been  for 
many  years  the  Democratic  organ  of  the 
county, when  its  name  was  changed  to  Union- 
Leader,  On  Get.  1st,  1879,  the  publication 
of  the  Daily  Union-Leader  was  commenced 
in  the  old  Union  building.  In  1880.  Mr. 
Bogert  bought  but  Mr.  Knlp's  interest  and 
from  then  on  to  the  day  of  his  death  was 
sole  publisher  and  editor.  In  1884  the  new 
building  on  North  Main  8treet  was  occu- 
pied. These  incidents  and  dates  show  with 
what  skill,  courage  and  pertinacity  Mr.  Bo- 
gert created,  with  very  limited  means,  out 
of  a  small  weekly  the  best  known  Demo- 
cratic daily  journal  in  Northeastern  Penn- 
sylvania. 

Mr.    Bogert    was    always    active    in   pol- 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


01 


itics.  He  was  twice  chairman  of 
(he  Democratic  County  Commit  tee. 
lu  1881  he  was  a  candidate  for  State 
Treasurer  beforo  the  Democratic  Convention 
that  finally,  after  nine  ballots,  nominated 
Orange  Noble,  of  Erie.  Daring  the  ballot- 
ing Mr.  Bogert  was  supported  bj  a  large 
contingent  of  delegates  from  this  part  of  the 
State  and  several  times  in  the  progress  of  the 
contest  bis  success  seemed  almost  assured. 
That  same  evening  he  was  elected  by  the 
convention  chairman  of  the  State  Commit- 
tee, and  he  got  up  out  of  his  bed  at  the  hotel 
to  meet  the  committee  sent  to  notify  him  of 
the  honor.  He  reluctantly  accepted  it,  but 
acquitted  himself  in  the  discharge  of  his 
duties  in  a  manner  that  won  golden  opinions 
from  the  party  managers.  He  was  solicited 
to  stand  for  the  State  Treasurership  in  1883 
and  it  is  believed  that  he  could  have  had  the 
nomination  that  year,  but  he  resolutely  re- 
fused the  use  of  his  name. 

He  was  a  delegate  frequently  to  State  Con- 
ventions of  his  party,  and  was  a  delegate  to 
the  National  Convention  of  lfcS4,  by  which 
President  Cleveland  was  nominated.  He 
was  appointed  postmaster  of  Wilkes-Barrein 
July,  1885  and  took  possession  of  the  office 
Aug.  1st  of  that  year. 

A  year  or  so  ago  he  was  honored  with  the 
presidency  of  the  State  Editorial  Associa- 
tion. He  was  one  of  the  presidents  of  the 
local  board  of  trade,  was  a  member  of 
Masonic  Lodge  61  and  of  several  beneficial 
organizations,  such  as  the  Legion  of  Honor 
and  the  Heptasophs. 

While  at  Lewisburg  he  united  with  the 
Baptist  Church,  but  never  became  a  mem- 
ber or  the  church  in  Wiikes-Barre.  though 
being  one  of  its  financial  supporters.  His 
wife  being  a  communicant  in  the  Episcopal 
Church,  Mr.  Bogert  was  a  sequent  attend- 
ant upon  the  services  at  St.  Stephens,  and 
during  his  last  illness  was  a  recipient  of  the 
ministrations  of  be  v.  Henry  L.  Jones. 

At  Philadelphia  Mr.  Bogert  married,  Dec. 
31,  1879,  Mary  E.  Patterson,  wno  had  been 
a  prominent  and  successiul  teacher 
in  the  Wilkes  Barre  public  schools 
and  who  is  a  well-known  and  estim- 
able lady.  She  was  at  his  bedside 
during  almost  every  moment  of  his  nearly 
eight  weeks'  confinement  to  his  bed  and  en- 
dured the  incident  pains  and.  fatigues  with 
wonderful  fortitude.  They  have  one  child 
living,  a  boy  of  4  years,  their  first  and  only 
other  one  having  died  almost  immediately 
after  its  birth. 

The  cause  of  Mr.  Bogerfs  death  was 
pyaemia  or  pus  poisoning,  originating  in  an 
abscess  of  the  prostrate  gland:  with  this 
pneumonia  was  a  temporary  complication. 
At  times  it  seemed  almost  certain  that  his 
vigorous  constitution  would  enable  him  to 
throw  the  deadly  poison  off,   but  it  was  not 


to  be.  It  had  secured  too  strong  a  grip  be- 
fore discovery,  and  would  have  killed  an 
ordinarily  robust  man  in  half  the  time.  He 
had  in  addition  to  the  care  of  hi-  patient 
wife  and  watchfui  family,  that  of  skilled' 
physicians  like  Drs.  Mayer,  Guthrie  and 
Murphy  and  a  certificated  nurse  from  the 
Bloekley  Hospital  at  Philadelphia,  it  was 
not  in  the  power  of  human  skill  or 
affection    to     further    put    off   dissolution. 

In  the  brief  space  permitted  after  the 
midnight  hour  in  which  to  sum  up  tho  char- 
acteristics of  a  life  now  ended,  words  fail  in 
which  to  pen  the  picture.  Mr.  Bogert  was 
untiring,  brave  and  generous  and  had  achiev- 
ed a  degree  of  worldly  success,  rare  for  a 
man  of  his  years  and  with  the  limited  ad- 
vantages at  his  di-posal.  Had  he  lived  he 
would  undoubtedly  have  become  a  man 
of  unusuai  mark,  not  only  as  a  leader  in  the 
business  and  politics  of  the  community,  but 
in  the  ever  widening  sphere  of  journalism 
and  State  politics. 

Asa  politician  he  was  aggressive,  but  be- 
lieving his  principles  were  right  he  battled 
for  Democracy,  not  only  against  the  open 
foe  of  Republican  opponents,  but  against 
the  advocates  of  schism  within  the  ranks  of 
his  own  party.  This  being  the  case,  his  path 
as  a  politician  was  not  strewn  with  roses, 
but  he  followed  it  faithfully  to  the  end,  be- 
lieving it  was  the  path  of  duty. 

Honest  in  his  dealings  with  his  fellow 
men,  energetic  in  the  discharge  of  every 
business  and  social  duty,  enterprising  in  the 
little  world  of  local  journalism,  an  affection- 
ate son,  a  devoted  husband  and 
a  loving  father,  he  has  left 
a  vacant  place  that  will  be  hard  to  fill — 
indeed,  it  can  never  be  fully  filled. 

The  Recokd  management,  with  whom  his 
business  and  professional  relations  have  al- 
ways been  of  the  most  friendly  character, 
lament  his  loss  and  beg  to  add  their  sym- 
pathy to  that  of  the  host  of  friends  who  will 
offer  their  consolation. 

We  deem  it  proper  to  say.  at  this  juncture, 
that  a  movement  is  on  foot  among  the 
friends  of  Mr.  Bogert  to  bring  about  the  ap- 
pointment of  his  widow  as  his  sucee-sor  m 
the  postofiice,  and  that  sucn  an  appoint- 
ment would  be  eminently  satisfactory  to 
the  community,  without  any  reference  to 
political  aflliations.  Fully  competent  to  dis- 
cbarge the  duty,  Mrs.  Bogert,  who.  we  learn, 
is  not  left  with  very  ample  provi^on  for  her 
future  maintenance,  would  grace  the  posi- 
tion, and  Congressman  Lynch  could  popu- 
larize himself  in  no  more  thorough  way  than 
by  using  his  influence  in  accordance  with 
the  movement  already  mentioned,  and 
which  originated  among  the  veterans  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  of  which  de- 
ceased was  a  comrade. 

Under   instructions    from    the    Postofiica 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Department,  A.  R.  Brundage,  Esq.,  one  of 
the  late  Mr.  Bogert's  bondsmen,  took  pos- 
session of  the  office  Friday  and  placed  E. 
K.  Bogert,  the  chief  deputy,  in 
charjjro  of  the  office  as  acting 
postmaster.  Mr.  Bogort  took  the  oath  be- 
fore United  States  Commissioner  Harm, 
and  the  business  of  the  office  will  proceed  as 
usual  without  any  interruption. 

Death  of  I).  O.  Bartlett. 

Brief  mention  was  made  in  the  Record 
on  the  day  following  of  the  death  of  Orrin 
D.  Bartlett,  which  occurred  from  sciatic 
rheumatism  at  Towanda,  Jan.  20.  Deceased 
was  known  in  Wilkes-Barre,  he  having  mar- 
ried for  his  second  wife,  Miss  Sarah  F. 
Tracy,  of  Wilkes-Barre,  who  died  July  5, 
1878. 

From  the  Towanda  papers  we  glean  the 
following: 

On  in  Daniel  Bartlett,  son  of  Daniel  and 
Jane  Scott  Bartlett,  was  born  in  Berkshire 
County,  Mass.,  Aug.  30,  1811.  At  the  age  of 
10  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Pennsylvania. 
Along  with  Dr.  John  N.  Weston,  Mr.  M.  C. 
Mercur,  Hon.  David  Wilmot  and  others  he 
organized  the  parish  of  Christ  Church, 
Towanda,  Dec.  20,  1841,  and  was  very 
active  in  promoting  its  interests.  He 
was  baptized  Sept.  24,  1843.  He  re, 
ceived  the  rite  of  confirmation  Nov.  9.  1845- 
from  Bishop  Alonzo  Potter.  He  took  hi- 
part  as  a  member  of  the  choir,  as  superins 
tendent  of  the  Sunday  school  or  as  a  teacher 
in  it,  and  as  one  of  the  Church  Wardens 
through  a  course  of  many  years.  Very  often 
did  he  also  act  in  the  capacity  of  lav  reader 
in  conducting  the  services  in  the- absence  of 
a  clergyman. 

His  name  is  largely  associated  with  the 
business  interests  of  Towanda  for  a  long 
period.  He  was  in  mercantile  life  for  about 
twenty-four  years  from  1837,  and  for  many 
years  afterwards  was  engaged  in  manufac- 
turing. Meantime,  from  1841  and  up  to  the 
time  of  his  death,  he  had  been  in  the  insur- 
ance business. 

Deceased  was  twice  married,  his  first  wife 
being  Miss  Mary  Weston,  daughter  of  the 
late  John  N.  Weston,  M.  D.,,  formerly 
sheriff  of  the  county.  She  died  26  years  ago 
on  20th  of  January.  Mr.  Bartlett,  for  weeks 
prior  to  his  death,  entertained  a  premoni- 
tion that  he  would  die  on  the  anniversary  of 
her  death,  which  proved  true.  Of  this  union 
all  his  children  were  born,  of  whom  three 
sons  survive  him:  Rev.  Franklin  \V.  Bart- 
lett, now  an  Episcopal  minister,  stationed 
at  Williamstown,  Mass.;  Dr.  Henry  Arthur 
Bartlett,  of  Sugar  Run,  and  Charles  Graham 
Bartlett,  and  three  daughters:  Mrs.  Mary 
F.  Macfarlane,  Mrs.  Harriet  A.  Tracy,  of 
this  place,  and  Mrs.  Cora  E.  Eiehelberger, 
of  Ohio. 


A  MYSTERIOUS  IMCKACE. 


Some  Old  Papers  That  Were  Found  by 
ilio  Wayside  Referring  to  Local  A  Hairs 
at  the  ISeginning  of  the  Century. 

[Reprinted  from  Record  of  Nov.  24, 1884.] 

A  short  time  ago  a  bundle  of  old  letters 
and  other  papers  v/as  picked  up  by  some 
one  ou  the  Plymouth  road,  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  now  Woodward  shaft,  and  as  the  con- 
tents bore  the  name  of  Zebulon  Butler,  they 
found  their  way  into  the  bands  of  Pierce 
and  George  H.  Butler,  Esq.,  of  Kingston. 
No  one  knows  from  whence  they  camo  nor 
anything  concerning  their  preservation  or 
custody  since  they  were  in  Capt.  Butler's 
keeping  almost  three-quarters  of  a  century 
ago.  These  papers  have  been  sent  to  the 
Record  office  for  our  inspection,  and  we 
have  taken  the  liberty  of  making  a  few  ex- 
tracts therefrom.  The  Zebulon  Butler  men- 
tioned was  not  the  Col.  Butler  of  colonial 
fame,  but  his  son  Zebulon,  a  grandson  of 
Rev.  Jacob  Johnson,  the  pioneer  congrega- 
tional preacher  of  the  gospel  at  Wyoming. 

One  of  the  documents  is  a  plan  for  the 
organization  of  a  volunteer  military  com- 
pany to  be  known  *  s  the  Wyoming  Blues. 
It  is  very  neatly  written,  but  on  coarse,  un- 
ruled paper,  and  directs  a  uniform  of  a 
"dark  blue  short  coat  or  sailor's  jacket, 
faced  and  trimmed  with  scarlet:  white  waist- 
coat and  blue  pantaloons,  edged  with  scar- 
let: black  stock  and  high  crowned  hat,  with 
bear  skin  on  the  same."  The  description  of 
the  uniform  now  iinds  its  way  into  print  for 
the  first  time.  Any  person  appearing  intoxi- 
cated on  parade  was  to  be  fined  oO  cents  for 
first  offence  and  for  second  to  be  ignomin- 
iously  expelled.  Captain  Butler  was  a  strict 
disciplinarian  and  his  company  is  said  to 
have  been  one  of  the  best  drilled  in  this  part 
of  the  State,  It  was  a  particularly  aristo- 
cratic company  for  those  days,  and  the  Gor- 
don papers  tell  us  that  Mr.  Butler  was  elected 
captain  in  1811.  The  company  ceased  to  ex- 
ist in  1814. 

There  is  considerable  correspondence  be- 
tween Capt.  Butler  and  Colonel  John  Spald- 
ing, of  Sheshequin,  on  business  topics.  In 
one  from  Mr.  Spalding,  dated  Ulster,  March 
10,  1810,  he  says,  "It  is  the  same  old  story 
— no  money  in  the  country,  but  counterfeit 
and  that  chiefly  at  Towanda."  We  don't 
like  to  expose  our  up  river  friends,  but  the 
truths  of  history  must  be  told.  In  a  post- 
script he  lets  out  a  few  family  se<  rets  when 
he  writes:  "We  are  all  well  except  Mrs. 
Spalding  and  she  is  grumbling  with  the  old 
complaint:"  he,  however,  leaves  us  in  the 
dark  as  to  what  the  old  complaint  is,  but 
probably  Capt.  Butler  understood  the  situa- 
tion. In  a  letter  to  Capt. 
Butler  tho  same  correspondent  writes 
from        Sheshequin,        "1        was        disap- 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


03 


pointed  of  coining  down  about  iny  cloth  at 
tho  taylor's.  1  hoar  he  has  gone  from  there 
and  J  am  fearful  lie  has  taken  my  cloth,  un- 
less he  has  left  it  with  yon."  It  must  have 
been  a  pretty  serious  undertaking  to  have  a 
coat  made  iu  those  days  when  a  man  had  to 
travel  lrom  Sheshequin,  80  miles  distant,  to 
Wilkes  Barre  to  find  a  competent  tailor, 
and  then,  what  a  disappointment  to  have  him 
run  away  with  the  cloth  and  trimmings,  and 
a  military  coat  at  that,  probably,  as  farther 
on  he  directs  his  "soard  and  appoletts"  to 
be  sent  by  Isaac  Shepherd,  or  the  post. 

Luther  Goddard  writes  in  January,  1807, 
from  Burlington  to  Mr.  Butler,  stating  that 
"Different  to  my  expectations  and  greatly 
to  my  damage  I  have  never  received  those 
stills  that  I  purchased  of  you."  Probablj 
the  old  Butler  still-house  on  Coal  Brook, 
near  the  present  Conyngham  shaft,  was  just 
then  in  good  running  order,  and  the  people 
of  Wilfces-Barre  were  in  great  need  of 
whisky,  so  the  stills  could  not  be  spared. 

There  is  an  original  warrant  issued  by 
Lord  Butler,  county  treasurer,  dated  Dec. 
13,  1801,  for  the  collection  of  S172.39X  tax 
assessed  against  Roger  Searl  of  Pittston 
township,  who  had  oaid  a  portion,  leaving  a 
balance  of  S69.48>£  still  clue.  On  the  back 
of  the  warrant  is  the  endorsement,  "Levied 
the  within  warrant  (ui  two  cows,  two  oxen 
and  two  horses  as  the  property  of  said 
Searl — so  answers  Jonathan  Hancock,  sub- 
sheriff,  for  Benjamin  Dorrance,  sheriff." 

There  is  aL-o  a  blank  petition  to  the 
Right  Worshipful  Grand  Master  Masons  of 
Pennsylvania,  in  the  usual  form  of  a  Master 
Mason,  asking  privilege  to  be  allowed  to 
pass  the  master's  chair  by  dispensation. 

A  list  of  "vendue  notes."  probably  at  the 
sale  of  the  Butler  personal  property  after 
his  death  (1810),  includes  the  names  of  the 
principal  citizens  of  Wilkt  s-Barre  of  that 
day;  such  as  Archippus  Parrish,  Wra.  Ross, 
Harris  Colt,  John  P.  Arndc,  Samuel  Maffet, 
Chas.  Catlin.  Garrick  Mallery,  Jacob  B>bb, 
C.  Courtright  2d,  Parley  Lyons,  S.  Van- 
Loon,  Job  Barton,  Seth  Wilson,  Samuel 
Bowman.  The  names  of  Hezekiah  Parsons, 
Harris  Jenkins  and  Thomas,  Daniel  and 
John  Davenport  appear  autong  those  who 
paid  their  bills  and  did  not  gr.-e  notes  for 
the  amounts  of  purchase. 

A  bill  agam-t  the  Butler  estate  in  favor  of 
Brown  &  Lyon  shows  that  the  price  of  farm 
produce,  especially  oats,  was  well  up  at  that 
day  (1810;,  as  there  is  a  charge  for  fifty 
bushels  of  seed  oa  s,;?37.T)0,while  the  price  of 
horse  hire  was  qnite  the  reverse^  a  charge  for 
two  horses  and  wagon,  28  daj  s'  hauling  hay 
and  harvesting,  is  put  down  at  ^'JS  only. 

It  would  appear  that  "going  to  mill"  was 
one  of  the  ordinary  items  of  expense  in 
housekeeping  in  those  days,  as  there  are 
several  charges  of   Lnos  going  to  Wright's 


mill,  50  cents  each.  This  same  establish- 
ment comes  down  to  our  own  da>,  venerablo 
with  the  historic  associations  of  nearly  a 
centcry— having  been  established  in  1795— 
but  has  for  many  decades  been  known  by 
the  present  name  of  tho  borough  in  whicn  it 
stands — Miner's  Mills. 

Trouble  about  election  matters  seems  to 
have  vexed  politi  iacs  even  as  early  as  1807. 
iu  a  letter  to  Isaac  Cash  from  ('apt.  Butler, 
ho  says,  in  speaking  of  an  approaching  elec- 
tion, "I  am  confident  that  people  in  that 
quarter  have  an  idea  of  holding  back  to  take 
advantage  of  on r  splitting,  but  there  is  no 
probability  of  there  being  more  than  three 
or  four  candidates."  What  tho  ollieo  to  be 
filled  was  wo  are  not  informed. 

A  letter  duttd  Jan.  18,  1811,  says  ho  had 
expected  his  brother  Steuben  to  go  into 
business  with  him,  but  that  Steuben  had 
concluded  to  remain  in  the  printing  trade. 
The  latte-  took  charge  of  the  Luzerne  Fed- 
eralist and  was  identified  with  Wilkes-Barre 
journalism  many  .\ears  after,  he  surviving 
his  half  brother  Zebulon  a  period  of  67 
\ears,  his  death  being  quite  recent. 


A  Pennsylvania  Historical  Novel. 

Hon.  William  Bross,  ex-Lieutenant  Gov- 
ernor of  Illinois,  has  recently  completed  a 
historical  novel,  the  scene  of  which  is  locat- 
ed on  the  Wallennaupaek,  among  the  monu- 
taius  and  forests  of  Pike  County,  Gov. 
Bross  was  boru  and  grew  to  young  manhood 
at  Milford,  Pike  County.  The  Presbyterians 
of  that  place  have  erected  a  tine  brick  church 
upon  the  site  of  the  wooden  structure  in 
which  his  father  whs  for  so  long  a  deacon 
that  he  was  through  the  after  years  of  his 
life  known  as  "Deacon  Bro>s."  The  spire 
ot  the  new  building  is  not  yet  finished,  but 
when  it  is  it  will  have  in  it  a  1,200  pound 
bell  and  a  tower  clock  which  have  been  pre- 
sented to  the  society  by  "the  Governor." 
Mr.  Bross  is  intensely  interested  in  Wyom- 
ing history  and  came  here  from 
his  Chicago  home  in  1878  to  at- 
tend the  centennial  of  the  msssacre.  He  is 
a  most  genh'l  sentleman  and  is  identified 
as  a  director,  trustee  or  other  officer  with 
many  of  the  educational,  historical  and  re- 
ligion- societies  of  Chicago.  He  is  also 
president  of  the  Chicago  Tribune  Publishing 
Co.,  and  as  such  he  has  rendered  many  a 
favor  to  young  newspaper  men  struggling 
for  position. 

Mr.  C.  F.  Hill,  of  Hazleton,  contemplates 
writing  a  history  of  that  region  of  the  Sus- 
quehanna l.sing  between  Berwick  and  Sun- 
bnry.  Ho  has  accumulated  a  fund  of  valu- 
able information  as  io  early  times  in  that 
region,  a  region  intimately  associated  with 
pioneer  life  in  old  Wyoming. 


94 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


HISTORICAL  SOCIETY. 


Twenty -ninth  Annual  Meeting— IotereBt- 
jn^  Kf8unii<  of  Progress  Made— Two 
Valuable  paper*  Read. 

The  Wyoming  Historical  and  Geological 
8ociet>  hold  their  annual  meeting  Feb.  11, at 
noon  at  the  society  rooms,  Judge  Dana  pre- 
hiding.  There  were  present,  Judge  Dana, 
Dr.  Ingham,  S.  Reynolds,  Edward  Welles, 
Kev.  H.  E.  Hay  den,  W.  P.  Miner,  C.  Parsons, 
J.W.  Hpllenback,  G.  B.  Kulp,  II.  H.  Harvey 
G.  M.  Reynolds,  Adj.  Wriaht.  The  annual 
election  of  officers  resulted  as  follows: 

President — Hon.  E.  L.  Dana. 

Vice  Presidents— Dr.  C.  F.  Ingham,  Rev. 
H.  L.  Jones,  Capt.  Calvin  Pardons,  Hon. 
Eckley  B.  Coxo 

Recording  Secretary — S.  C.  Strnthers. 

Corresponding  Secretary— Sheldon  Reyn- 
olds. 

Librarian — Hon.  J.  R.  Wright. 

Assistant  Librarian— G.  Mortimer  Lewis. 

Treasurer — A.  H.  McClintock. 

Curators — Dr.  C.  F.  Ingham.  Conchology 
and  Mineralogy;  S.  Reynolds,  Archaeology: 
Rev.  H.  E.  Hayden,  Numismatics,  R.  D. 
Lacoe,  Palaeontology. 

Meteorologist — Hon.  E.  L   Dana. 

Historiographer— George  B.  Kulp. 

Trustees — Dr.  Charles F.  Ingham,  Edward 
P.  Darling,  Ralph  D.  Lacoe,  Edward  Welles, 
Hon.  Charles  A.  Miner. 

Report  was  made  by  Mr.  Kulp  of  the  death 
of  five  members,  all  occurring  within  three 
mouths:  Dr.  Hodge,  Martin  Coryell,  John 
Wroth,  Isaac  Lea,  J.  K   Bogert. 

Judge  Dana  submitted  weather  report  for 
last  two  months,  which  we  condense  as 
follows: 

December  —  Lowest  temperature,  l?th, 
two  below  zero,  only  date  below  zero,  aver- 
age temperature  for  month,  21^:;'  degrees: 
total  rain  fall,  l.US  inches;  snow  tall,  9 
inches. 

January — Lowest  temperature,  8th,  five 
degrees  below  zero;  mercury  below  zero,  3d, 
4th,  8th  and  27th;  average  temperature  for 
month,  22  degrees;  rained  8  days:  snowed  7 
days;  total  rainfall,  3.03  inches;  depth  of 
Know,  9  inches. 

A  balance  of  £247  was  reported  in  the 
treasury. 

The  following  reports  were  made: 

Archaeology —  The  cabinet  has  been  in- 
creased during  the  year  by  the  addition  of 
387  arrow  and  spear  points.  3  stone  axes,  8 
celts,  7  drills,  5  pestles,  2  tomahawks,  as 
also  a  flaying  knife,  a  double  pitted  stone,  a 
pipe,  hammerstone  ana  gouge.  The  larger 
part  were  pre-ented  by  Henry  C.  Wilson, 
they  having  been  found  near  his  home.  Mt. 
Vernon,  0.  Mr.  Lung,  aud  James  Crockett 
felso  contributed  valuable  spucimens. 

Library— During  the  year  there  have  been 


added  432  bound  volumes.  r>17  pamphlets, 
24  broadside  sheets,  4  manuscripts  and  a 
largo  number  of  current  newspapers  and 
files.  The  library  now  contains  4,010  bound 
and  about  300  unbound  volumes, exclusive  of 
duplicates,  of  which  there  are  2000.  The 
library  has  been  open  each  week  day  from  9 
am.  to  5:30  pin. 

Conchology — Two  specimens  donated,  and 
'Jty.i  received  through  exchange. 

Mineralogy — Ninety-nine  specimens  do- 
nated. 

The  following  members  were  elected: 
Miss  Carrie  M.  Alexander,  Reuben  Jay  Flick, 
Ambrose  Reese,  Warren  Jay  Flick,  Liddon 
Flick. 

xVdjonrnmeut  was  had  until  8  pin.,  at 
which  time  the  society  reassembled,  with 
a  large  audience  present,  the  room  being 
filled. 

Acknowledgment  was  made  of  contribu- 
tions trom  the  following  donors: 

Library— Hon.  J.  A.  Scrauton,  Newport 
Historical  Pub.  Co.,  Telephone,  R.  Baur  d: 
Son,  Express,  News-Dealer,  Wyoming  Bank. 
K.  B.  Brundage,  Y.  M.  C.  A..  Geo.  Sheldon, 
Middlebury  (Vt.J  His.  Soc,  Bureau  of  Edu- 
cation, American  Philosophical  Soc,  Dr.  D. 
G.Bnnton,  Library  Co.  of  Phil.,  His.  cfc  Phil. 
Soc.  of  Ohio,  Dr.  W.  H.  Egie,  Co'.  Reynolds, 
Sheldon  Reynolds,  Dr.  Henry  Phiilips,  Jr., 
CajugaCo.  His.  Soc,  American  Geograph- 
ical Soc,  Hon.  J.  R.  Wright,  Lackawanna 
Institute  of  History  and  Science,  B. 
Reynolds,  American  Congregational  A=s'n, 
Minnesota  Hi*.  Soc,  Dr.  H.  Hakes,  Georgia 
His.  Soc,  H.  G.  Merrill,  F.C.  Johnson, U.  S. 
Geological  Survey,  Iowa  His.  Soc,  H.  R. 
Deitriek,  G.  B.  Kulo,  E.  L.  Dana,  Gen.  C. 
W.  Darling,  Recosd.  T.  H.  Atherton,  S.  C. 
Strnthers,  People's  Bank,  A.  Hunlock,  I.  A. 
Steams. 

Aboriginal  implements  —  S.  Reynolds, 
James  Crockett. 

Geological  specimens — Edward  Welles,  F. 
Mercur,  R.  H.  Peterson. 

Mi>c-llaneons— Capt.  O.  A.  Parsons,  Adam 
Behee. 

A  neatly  framed  pen  drawing  was  present- 
ed, which  is  described  by  its  title:  "A  partial 
map  of  the  towns  of  Pittston,  Plains  ana 
Wilkes-Barre,  -howing  the  names  of  neariy 
all  the  settlers  in  1837.  Drafted  from  the 
memory  of  R.  W.  Hinckley,  a  teacher  and 
merchant  in  the  valley  trom  1837  to  1643. 
Drawn  by  R.  P.  Hinckley,  Bridgeport,  Ct. 
Presented  by  R.  W.  Hinckley,  publisher,  165 
Chambeis  Street.  New  York  City." 

Samuel  W.  jfcVnuy  packer  was  elected  a  cor- 
responding member. 

A  portrait  of  Timothy  Pickering  was  pre- 
sented by  Miss  Mary  Bowman. 

Judge  Dana  read  an  interesting  annual  re- 
port as  president,  showing  the  progress  made 
and  making  numerous  suggestions  as  to  the 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


95 


future.  He  recommended  branching  out 
into  the  natural  sciences. 

Copt.  James  P.  Dennis  read  a  capital 
paper  on  the  list  of  buildings  in  the  borongh 
in  J8L1)  a*  be  remembered  them.  (July  a 
portion  of  the  paper  was  read,  Oapt.  Dennis 
being  invited  to  present  another  installment 
later. 

Dr.  Ingham  read  an  account  of  the  New 
Brunswick  mineral  called  albertite,  believed 
to  be  ati  altered  petroleum.  The  paper  was 
interesting,  but  rather  technical  for  the 
average  lay  miud. 

The  lecture  room  of  the  society  is  so  ill 
adapted  for  lectures,  having  wretched  acou- 
istio  properties  and  absolutely  no  ventil- 
ation, that  few  persons  could  have  sat 
through  the  session  with  much  physical  com- 
fort. Such  a  room  would  kill  any  but  a 
phenomenally  robust  organization. 

Mr.  Knlp  presented  biographical  sketches 
of  members  deceased  during  the  year,  men- 
tioned above. 

The  committee  appointed  to  confer  with 
the  directors  of  the  Osterhont  Free  Library, 
relative  to  quarters  in  the  propose  1  build- 
ing, reported  to  the  effect  that  the  Osterhont 
directors  had  decided  to  utilize  the  Presby- 
terian Church  building  for  from  5  to  10 
years,  and  would  be  willing  that  the  Histori- 
cal Society  have  the  Sunday  school  addition 
for  their  purposes,  should  it  be  suitable.  It 
is  of  brick,  35x46  feet,  two  stories  high,  the 
ground  floor  seating  ~U0  persons,  the  second 
having  two  rooms,  each  22x34  feet  in  size. 
The  building  has  light  on  three  sides  and  is 
comparatively  safe  as  to  fire.  The  commit- 
the  favored  the  acceptance  of  the  offer  and 
were  continued  with  discretionary  powers. 


The  Harrisburg  Telegraph  for  Jan.  29, 
contains  an  interesting  sketch  on  the  '"Un- 
derground Railway,"  and  of  William  Ruther- 
ford, a  notable  abolitionist  who  lived  in  the 
Paxtang  Valley.  A  tribute  is  also  paid  to 
William  (or  '"Pap")  Jones,  of  Harrisburg. 
The  writer,  "W.  F.  R.,"  thus  sneaks  of  him: 

"Pap  Jones"  was  a  large;  %vell  built  man,  of 
pure  African  descent,  and  possessed  in  a 
large  measure  that  quality  known  among 
colored  men  as  "Coon  sense,"  which  being: 
interpreted.  means  genius,  with 

a^  large  share  of  cunning  superseded. 
For  many  years  Mr.  Jones  was  one  of  the 
most  efficient  men  connected  with  the  "Un- 
derground Railroad"  in  thi~  locality.  He 
had  acquired  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
routes  leading  northward  and  was  always 
prepared  to  furnish  competent  guides.  His 
large  covered  wagon,  drawn  by  two  horses 
and  driven  by  himself  in  the  capacity  of  rag 
merchant,  was  frequently  to  be  met  with  on 
the  roads  leadiug  towards  Wilkes-Barre  or 
Pottsville. 


The  Pennsylvania  Germans. 

A  treatise  which  will  be  of  great  intorost 
and  value  to  the  Pennsylvania  Germans  of 
Lancaster,  York,  Lebanon,  Berks,  Dauphin, 
Lehigh  and  other  German  counties  of 
Pennsylvania,  has  just  been  completed  by 
Dr.  W.  J.  Hoffman,  member  of  the  United 
States  Ethnological  Bureau  for  scientific 
publication. 

It  is  an  ethnological  and  philological  his- 
tory of  the  Pennsylvania  Germans.  The 
work  embraces  a  dictionary  and  grammar 
of  the  language,  the  customs,  supersti_ 
tions,  folk-lore,  medical  practices,  pow. 
wowing,  etc.,  of  those  people.  A  valuable 
linguistic  comparison  of  the  Pennsylvania 
German  dialect  of  to-day,  and  the  Pfalz 
dialect,  particularly  the  Bavarian,  is  intro- 
duced, which  shows  that  the  language  now 
spoken  by  the  Pennsylvania  Germans  is 
identical  with  the  Bavarian  dialect  a  century 
and  a  quarter  ago,  but  somewhat  different 
from  the  modern  dialect.  This  is  explained 
by  the  fact  that  the  Pennsylania  Gorman  has 
preserved  its  Bavarian  identity  as  against 
English  in  Pennsylvania,  while  the  Bavarian 
dialect  has  been  materially  modified  by  con- 
tact with  other  Teutonic  dialects  and  the 
German  proper.  The  work  is  of  greater 
scope  than  has  yet  been  undertaken  in 
establishing  the  ethnologic  and  lin- 
guistic identity  of  that  numerous 
and  influential  body  of  the  people  of  Penn- 
sylvania from  the  time  of  the  Crefeld  set- 
tlers at  Germantown,  under  Daniel  Francis 
Pastorius  in  1062,  down  through  the 
enormous  tide  of  emigration  from  the 
Pfalz  provinces  which  crowded  into  the 
Province  of  Pennsylvania  until  the  time  of 
the  Revolution.  The  present  dialect  of  the 
descendants  of  theso  early  fathers  of  the 
Teutonic  people  of  Pennsylvania  shows  its 
Bavarian  origin  with  an  admixture  of  the 
dialects  of  Baden  and  Wurtemberg  and 
words  from  the  Welsh  and  Irish  set- 
tlers of  the  German  counties  of  the 
State.  Dr.  Hoffman  during  his  service  as 
surgeon  in  the  Franco-Prussian  war  in  the 
Seventh  army  corps,  under  the  famous  old 
warrior,  Steiumetz,  and  afterwards  at  the 
headquarters  of  Prince  Frederick  Charles, 
of  Bavaria,  at  Verney,  three  mites  below 
Metz,  had  ample  opportunities  to  make  in 
vestigations,  which  he  has  since  followed  up, 
and  which  have  culminated  in  his  present 
work.  Special  interest  will  attach  to  this 
work,  in  view  of  the  rapidity  with  which,  in 
later  years,  Pennsylvania  Dutch  haa  disap- 
peared from  popular  use. — Harrisburg  Tele- 
graph. 


Ob' 


THE  lIISTOlilCAL  hKCOVX 


A  FRONTIER  lilvKO 


Who  was  a  Prisoner  Ainongf  Hie  Indiana 
two  Years— His  Services  Recognized  by 
the  *  eKislature  a  Quarter  of  a  Century 
Later. 

Editor  Recoup:  Allow  me  to  present  the 
following  as  a  memorial  of  a  brave?  and  true 
soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  Capt. 
Joseph  Solomon  or  (Salmon),  of  Col.  James 
Murray's  Regiment  of  Northumberland 
County  Militia.  It  is  not  known  whether 
Capt.  Solomon  was  related  to  John  Solomon, 
a  spldier  in  the  French  and  Indian  War,  or 
not.  Of  his  parentage  little  seems  to  be 
known.  However  his  memory  richly  de- 
server  this  humble  notice.  The  following 
letter  from  Gen.  James  Potter  to  President 
Reed  bearing  d ate  Sunbury,  April  12th,  1781, 
will  bear  publishing. 

Sir:  I  Arived  at  My  house  on  Sunday  last 
and  on  Monday  I  cam  to  this  place  and  since 
I  have  maid  a  Visite  to  difrent  parts  of  the 
frunteers  who  I  lind  in  great  distreess.  Num- 
bers of  them  flying  for  there  lives  at  this 
early  Seasone  of  the  year.  The  enemy  has 
Maid  five  different  Strookes  on  our  frunteers 
since  the  22d  of  March.  On  the  Sixth  instant 
they  fierred  on  an  old  Man,  his  Son  and 
daughter,  the  Boy  wos  shott  ded  and  the 
indians  Imedatly  Maid  a  prisnr  of  the 
Young  woman  The  old  Man  Had  a  stick  in 
Hand  with  which  he  nobley  defended  him- 
self against  one  of  the  Indians  who  had  a 
torn  hack  and  Maid  the  fellow  drope  his 
Wapon.  Col  Kelley  with  a  few  of  his  Nigh- 
bours  wos  in  a  house  at  a  little  distance. 
On  hearing  the  enemy  guns  go  off  they  Run 
to  the  pleace  and  obledged  the  enemy  to 
Retreat  leving  the  Young  Womou  there 
prisnr  and  our  brave  old  Irishman  and  his 
stick  behind  them  and  all  there  Blankets. 
They  outrun  Col  Kelly  and  his  party  and  got 
off  as  Usile 

On  Sabathday  last  the  eight  instant,  in  the 
evening  they  come  to  the  House  of  one 
Durrues  about  five  miles  from  this  pieaco 
lrumedatly  on  there  entrim:  the  house  they 
Sholt  Daun  and  Tooke  one  Captain  Solomon 
a  prisnr.  there  wos  four  Weemm  and  an 
number  of  Children  in  the  House  They 
plundered  the  House  of  everything  that  wor 
Valibel.  But  whot  is  surprising,  they  went 
off  with  Captain  Solomon  and  Unjre  X'luuder 
leving  behind  the  Weemm  and  Children. 
This  hapned  leat  in  the  evening  the 
next  day  they  were  pursued  but  not 
come  up  with.  Captain  Robinson  has 
got  forty  men  enlisted  tor  the  war,  but  many 
of  them  are  so  naked  for  wont  of  all  kinds 
of  Clothing  that  they  cannot  do  Duty.  They 
have  not  a  blanket  amon^them  ail.  I  know 
it  is  not  in  the  power  of  Council  to  provide 
for  them  at  present,  but  I  hope  they  will  as 
soon  as  poable.    There  is  no  appeerance  of 


Cumberlond  Militia  Coming  to  this  County 
as  \et.  on  my  Coming  to  thin  County  I  sent 
off  to  hasten  there  March.  J  most  sincerely 
wished  for  Assembly  to  have  been  with  me 
in  my  disagreeable  visit  along  the  much 
disstressed  Frunteers.  I  hare  not  Language 
to  express  there  distressess  and  therefore 
will  not  atemt  it. 

I  have  the  Honour  to  be 
with  the  greatest  esteem 
Your  Excellency's  Most 
Humble  eevont 

J  as.  Potter. 
Capt.  Robinson's  de-titute  company  re- 
ferred to  in  the  above  letter  is  the  same  com- 
pany of  which  Moses  Van  Campen  was  a 
first  lieutenant.  This  is  the  brief  history 
of  how  Capt.  Solomon  was  taken 
prisoner  by  the  Indians  on  the 
8th  day  of  April,  1781,  at  the  house  of  one 
Dormer  on  a  quiet  Sunday  evening  near 
Sunbury.  He  was  taken  to  York  State  or 
Canada  and  was  gone  for  two  years.  The 
history  of  his  captivity  and  return  would  no 
donbt  make  an  interesting  chapter  in  the 
history  of  the  Revolutionary  VVar.  It  is 
hoped  that  such  a  history  may  yet  be  pro- 
duced and  published  as  a  tribute  of  respect 
to  the  memory  of  this  one  of  the  heroes 
whose  memories  should  never  die  out 

It  is  a  relief  to  notice  that  the  Legislature 
of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania  did  itself  the 
honor  to  pass  the  following: 

Where  s,  It  appears  that  Joseph  Salmon, 
late  a  captain  in  Colonel  James  Munay's 
Kegiment.  of  Northumberland  County 
militia,  while  in  the  service  of  his  country 
daring  the  Revolutionary  War.  was  taken 
prisoner  by  the  Indians  and  detained  in 
captivity  upwards  of  two  years,  during 
which  time  his  then  infant  family  solely 
dependent  on  his  labor  for  support,  was  lett 
destitute,  and  himself  treated  with  all  the 
rigour  incident  to  savage  warfare,  and  it 
also  appearing  that  he  hath  not  received 
from  his  country  any  compensation  for  his 
services  and  sufferings. 

Therefore,  be  it  enacted  by  the  Senate 
and  House  of  Representatives  of  the  Com- 
monwealth of  Pennsylvania  in  General  As- 
sembly met,  and  it  i-  hereby  enacted  by  the 
authority  of  the  same,  that  there  is  granted 
to  the  same  Jose  ph  Salmon  a  tract  of  dona- 
tion hind  to  contain  three  hundred  acres,  for 
which  a  patent  shrill  be  made  to  him,  his 
heirs  or  a?signsin  the  usual  manner. 

Simon   Snyder, 

Speaker  of  the  House  of  Representatives. 

Approved  the  fourth  day  of  March,  one 
thousand  eight  hundred  and  seven. 

Thomas  McKean. 

The  sturdy  old  captain  was  married  to  a 
Miss  Ann  \\  heeler,  after  whose  family  name 
Fort  Wheeler,  a  fort  on  the  Fi-hing  Creek, 
just    above    the    town  of    Light  Street,  in 


THE  HIS10R1CAL  RECORD. 


07 


Columbia  County,  Pa.,  named  Fort  Wheeler, 
was  built  by  Moses  Van  Cainpen,  iu  the 
month  of  April,  1778.  Near  this  place  Cap- 
tain Solomon  lived  aud  died  on  what  is  known 
as  the  William  Warden  farm,  between  the 
towns  of  Espy  and  Light  Street,  and  he  and 
his  wife  lie  buried  near  the  place.  The  Cap- 
tain left  nine  children,  Isaiah,  John,  George, 
William  1st,  William  2d,  Jane,  Margarette, 
Sarah  and  Phebe.  These  sons  and  daugh- 
ters are  scattered  far  and  wide. 

Isaiah,  one  of  the  sons,  married  Sarah 
McMurtrie  aud  settled  in  Briar  Creek  Town- 
ship, near  Berwick,  and  reared  a  family  of 
thirteen  children:  James  M.,  Isaiah  Wheeler, 
Clark,  William,  Abram  M.,  Joseph  P.,  John 
S.,  George  Ellis,  Elizabeth  Ann,  Maria  Char- 
lotte, Phebe  and  Sarah  Jane. 

Isaiah  Salmon  was  widely  and  favorably 
known  as  an  intelligent  and  inllnential  citi- 
zen, and  died  honored  and  lamented  by  the 
community  in  which  he  lived. 

Two  of  his  sons,  James  M.,  and  Clark  are 
ministers  of  the  gospel  and  are  known  as 
men  of  eminence  in  their  calling. 

Joseph  P.  Salmon,  a  namesake  of  his  il- 
lustrious grandfather,  Captain  Solomon. 
lives  in  Hazleton,  Pa.,  where  he  is  well  and 
favorably  known,  He  came  to  Hazleton  in 
his  boyhood,  and  since  his  advent  here  has 
earned  and  received  the  confidence  of  the 
community,  and  has  filled  many  positions 
of  trust  and  honor.  c.  f.  h. 

Hazleton,  Pa.,  Feb.  3,  1887. 


prevented  from  practicing  his  profession. — 
Wilkes  Havre  Correspondent  of  Scranton 
Republican. 


FLOUK    FOR  4  4  YEARS. 


Pioneer  Physicians  of  Wyoming. 

The  Luzerne  County  Medical  Society  held 
its  annual  meeting  and  banquet  Jan.  5,  at 
the  Wyoming  Valley  Hotel.  Dr.  Howell, 
vice  president,  presided  at  the  meeting. 

After  the  transaction  of  routine  business, 
Dr.  Fred.  C.  Johnson,  of  the  Recoup,  read  a 
paper  upon  the  Pioneers  of  Medicine  in  this 
Valley.  It  was  a  very  interesting  sketch, 
though  the  reader  claimed  that  his  paper  was 
really  but  a  bundle  of  fragments  of  bio- 
graphical gleanings,  he  having  had  no  time 
to  compile  the  same  into  such  sequential 
form  as  he  might  have  done  and  would 
have  done,  had  he  been  given  more 
time.  The  morsels  of  personal 
reminiscences  in  the  lives  of  the 
early  doctors  were  more  tha.  interesting. 
He  touched  upon  none  of  the  doctors  later 
than  1825.  Dr.  Johnson  gave  Dr.  Hollister, 
of  Providence,  credit  for  much  ot  the  ma- 
terial that  he  presented  last  evening,  and 
paid  that  antiquarian  and  genial  medical 
philosopher  a  warm  tribute  of  praises  and 
urged  the  purchase  of  his  valuable  collection 
of  aboriginal  and  other  curiosities  as  the 
nucleus  of  a  museum:  this  as  a  recognition 
of  Dr.  Hollister's  zeal  in  its  collection  and 
as  a  financial    help  to    him    now  that  he  is 


Price  Per  Hundred  in  Philadelphia  from 
1785  to   1X28. 

The  following  table  of  tne  price  of  flour 
per  hundred  in  Philadelphia  is  the  average 
for  eacli  year,  and  now  taken  from  an  old 
Salem  paper  in  possession  of  Salem  County 
Historical  Society  dated   March.  18,  182,9: 

1785 $  5  87  1807 $  7  17 

1786 5(55  1808 5  GO 

1787 5  25  1809 6  0L 

1788 481  1810 937 

1789 520  1811 995 

1700 5  50  1812 9  83 

1701 5  22  1813 K92 

1702 525  1814 8  60 

1793 5  00  18)5 K71 

1794 000  1816 0  78 

1705 1060  1817 1160 

1790 12  50  1818 0  00 

3707 801  1819 711 

1708 820  1820 -172 

1799 000  1821 572 

1800 986  1822 5  58 

180L  1040  1823 0  82 

1802 690  IhM 502 

1803 073  1825 5  10 

1801 8  22  1820 4  65 

1805 0  70  1827 5  23 

1806 7  30  1828 5  00 

Aggregate  average  for  forty-four  years 
$17.42.  The  circumstnnces  which  have 
produced  the  principal  fluctuations  are  given 
as  follows:  From  1794  to  1708  scarcity  in 
France  and  England:  from  1708  to  1800, 
export  to  Englaud:  1800  to  2801,  scarcity 
in  England;  1804-5  scarcity  in  Spain:  1808- 
9,  long  embargo;  1*09-10-11,  Pemnsular 
war;  1812-13-14,  war  with  England;  1310- 
17,  scarcity  in  England.  To  ihis  we  might 
add  the  cause  of  an  advance  during  the  lat- 
ter part  of  1828,  viz.,  senrcity  in  Europe, 
particularly  in  England.  The  state  ot  the 
currency  in  1814-15  had  an  effect  on  prices. 
The  highest  yearly  average  was  that  of  1796, 
viz.,  S12.50,  and  the  lowest  price  that  of 
1820,  viz.,  84.05  The  lowest  price  was  in 
March.  1821,  $3.37.  The  highest  price  was 
in  March,  1790,  $.15. — Salem  South  Jersey- 
man. 

Indian    Relics. 

James  Crockett,  of  Ro-^s  Township,  has 
sent  the  Wyoming  Historical  and  Geologi- 
cal Society  some  valuable  aboriginal  speci- 
mens. They  comprise  a  grooved  a.ce, 
plowed  up  on  the  farm  of  Miner  Goss,  in 
Fairmount  Township,  white  arrow  and 
drill;  grooved  tomahawk,  from  Crockett 
farm;  a  stone  gouge  from  George  Hess' 
farm,  Fishing  Creek, and  a  lot  of  Hint  chips. 


98 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


THE  MINISINK    MA    SA.CKE. 

A  Honesdale  Writer  Gives  Some  Interest- 
ing Facta  and  Sets  Historian  Chapman 
Straight  on  One  Point. 

[John  Torrey  in  Honesdale  Citizen,  Fob.  10.] 

The  notice  of  the  recent  death  of  the  widow 
of  the  late  Judge  Manning,  of  Bethany, 
brings  to  remembrance  some  interesting  his- 
toric events  resulting  in  the  death  of  one  of 
her  ancestors,  in  his  country's  service.  To 
many  of  your  readers  the  full  history  of  the 
affair  is  not  easily  accessible,  and  to  such  a 
brief 'statement  of  the  facts  will  be  interest- 
ing. 

Mrs.  Manning  was  a  daughter  of  David 
Wilder  and  wife,  and  her  mother  was  the 
daughter  of  Paul  Tyler,  and  a  granddaughter 
of  Captain  Bezaleel  Tyler,  who  was  one  of 
the  pioneer  settlers  of  the  valley  of  the  Dela- 
ware at  Cochecton. 

The  early  settlers  then  wete  much  exposed 
to  the  attacks  by  the  Northern  Indians,  and 
several  times  they  were  obliged  to  flee  to 
neighboring  settlements  for  safety. 

On  learning  of  the  Wyoming  massacre  by 
the  Indians  in  1778  the  settlers  at  Paupack, 
and  most  of  those  at  Cochecton.  deemed  it 
unsafe  to  remain  at  their  homes  and  fled 
with  their  families  to  the  settled  Darts  of 
Orango  County,  New  York,   for  safety. 

While  they  were  thus  residing  in  Orange 
County  as  refugees,  a  band  of  Indians  and 
Tones  from  the  North,  led  by  Col.  Brandt, 
came  into  the  Delaware  Valley,  and  daring 
the  night  of  July  10,  1779,  made  an  attack 
upon  the  settlement  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
Minisink  flats,  near  Port  Jervis.  seized  such 
property  as  they  could  take  with  them,  de- 
stroyed such  as  they  could  not  take  and  com- 
pelled the  inhabitants  to  flee  for  their  lives. 

Information  of  the  raid  svas  immediately 
gent  by  a  messenger  to  Goshen,  and  the 
militia'  of  that  region,  together  with  such 
volunteers  as  could  be  obtained, were  ordered 
by  Col.  Tusten  to  rendezvous  at  Minisink 
(now  Port  Jervis)  early  the  following  morn- 
ing. July  21. 

Capt.  Bezaleel  Tyler  (grandfather  of  Mrs. 
Wilder)  and  Moses  Thomas,  Sen.,  ( father  ot 
Judge  Thomas)  from  Cochecton,  and  Moses 
Kellam,  Sen.,  from  Paupack  settlement,  all 
of  whom  were  there  as  refugees,  volunteered 
to  join  them. 

f3n  the  morning  of  July  21st,  the  officers 
under  Col.  Tusten,  and  as  large  a  force  as 
could  be  mustered  under  so  short  a  notice, 
met  him  at  the  place  appointed,  and  found 
that  the  enemy  had  left,  going  up  the  Dela- 
ware with  their  plunder.  After  discussing 
the  situation  it  was  decided  to  pursue  them, 
and  they  took  up  the  line  of  march  and 
proceeded  some  17  miles  that  day.  and  en- 
camped. 

In  the  morning,  Col.   Hathorn,  of  War- 


wick, overtook  them  v/ith  a  few  more  men, 
and  being  the  senior  oflicer,  took  the  com- 
mand. 

They  advanced  to  Half- Way-Brook,  now 
Barryville,  and  found  the  Indians  had  there 
encamped  the  nighi  before.  Here,  as  Capt. 
Tyler  was  known  to  bo  familiar  with  the 
geographj  of  the  country  over  which  they 
•  were  now  to  proceed,  he  was  selected  to  take 
command  of  a  small  scouting  party,  to  go 
forward  and  reconnoitre  the  movements  of 
the  enemy,  and  suggest  the  most  favorable 
ground  for  attacking  them. 

He  and  his  party  had  proceeded  but  a  short 
distance  in  advance,  when  he  was  singled 
out  and  killed,  probably  by  some  Tory  who 
recognized  him,  and  realized  the  danger  to 
those  who  were  fleeing,  from  having  a  man 
so  familiar  with  the  route,  acting  as  guide 
to  their  pursuers. 

About  9  o'clock  they  came  in  sight  of  the 
Indians,  three-quarters  of  a  mile  distant, 
advancing  leisurely  up  the  river,  and  Col. 
Hathorn  marched  his  men  over  the  hill  in- 
tending to  reach  the  ford  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Laokawaxen  in  advance  of  the  Indians. 

Col.  Brandt  discovered  his  movement  and 
made  a  counter  move  so  as  to  get  in  the  rear 
of  his  pursuers,  and  chose  his  time  and 
place  for  attacking  them,  and  on  the  hill, 
about  a  mile  east  of  the  mouth  of  the  Lacka- 
waxen,  he  succeeded  in  so  cutting  off  one- 
third  of  Col.  Hathorn's  forces  that  they 
could  not  again  unite,  aud  then  on  ground 
chosen  by  Brandt,  a  most  desperate  battle 
was  fought,  and  Col.  Hathorn's  forces  dis- 
astrously defeated,  and  more  than  forty  of 
them  killed  and  lef :  on  the  battlefield. 

Among  those  so  killed,  was  Moses  Thomas. 
Sen.,  who  had  at  Cochecton,  been  a  neigh- 
bor of  Captain  Tyler. 

The  bones  of  the  men  fins  slain,  were 
left  to  bleach  in  the  forest,  until  1822,  when 
patriotic  citizens  of  Orango  county,  united 
to  collect  them,  and  have  ihem  properly  in- 
terred. And  on  the  forty-third  anniversary 
of  the  battle.  July  22,  1822,  the  bones  wore 
so  disposed  of  beneath  an  appropriate 
monument  then  erected  in  Goshen,  in  honor 
of  those  brave  but  unfortunate  men. 

This  battle  has  been  called  the  "Battle  of 
Minisink,  or  'Minisink  Massacre,'  "  but  the 
site  where  it  took  place,  was  nearly  20  miles 
distance  from  that  part  of  the  Delaware 
valley,  which  the  Indians  called  Minisink. 

But  another  more  important  and  mislead- 
ing error  is  the  statement  in  Chapman's 
History  of  Wyoming,  in  incidentally  allud- 
iug  to  this  battle,  that  the  men  who  were 
there  killed  by  the  Indians,  were  Dart  of  a 
company  of  Pennsylvania  militia  who  had 
been  .-out  to  the  Lackawaxen  to  protect  the 
settlers. 

At  that  date,  July  22,  1779,  all  the  organ- 
ized militia  of   Northeastern  Pennsylvania 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


on 


have  been  ^usposod  to  bo  massed  at  Wyom- 
ing! preparatory  to  moving  up  the  Susque- 
hanna under  Gen.  Sullivan  that  week  to  at- 
tack the  Six  Nations  of  Indians  in  the  Che- 
mung cOunffy,  and  if  so,  there  would  have 
been  no  company  of  Penn'a  militia  to  spare 
to  be  sent  to  the  Lackawaxen  if  needed. 
But  historians  very  generally  agree  in  tell- 
ing us  that  immediately  after  the  Wyoming 
massacre  in  1778,  the  settlers  at  Pan  pack  on 
the  Lackawaxeu,  and  at  Cochectou  all  fled 
for  safety,  so  that  there  were  few,  if  any, 
settlers  thero  needing  military  protection. 

The  evidence  is  now  incontrovertible  that 
the  patriotic  men  who  were  in  that  Minisink 
battle,  were  from  Orange  County,  New 
York,  including  a  few  refugees  from  Penn- 
sylvania. J.  t. 


FltlKNDLl'     INDIANS      AT    WYOMING. 


On  Their  Way  to  See  Gen.  Washington  at 
Philadelphia— Their  Dread  of  Small- 
Pox. 

In  1777  the  settlements  in  Westmoreland 
were  infected  with  small-pox  and  the  disease 
was  activelj  combated  by  the  settlers.  Pest 
houses  ware  established  at  points  off  from 
the  traveled  roads  and  all  cases  of  the  disease 
were  compelled  to  be  convened  thither  for 
treatment.  The  Indians  had  a  most  intense 
dread  of  the  infection,  for  then  as  now,  they 
were  its  easy  victims.  We  have  before  us 
volume  1  of  the  new  series  of  Pennsylvania 
Archives,  edited  by  Hon.  John  Blair  Linn 
and  Dr.  W.  H.  Egl  e.  So  far  as  we  have  seen 
there  is  no  reference  in  the  local  histories  to 
the  presence  of  ihe  Indians  referred  to  in 
the  appended  letter  from  Col.  Dem-on  to 
the  committee  of  Easton,  to  whose  friendly 
attentions  the  Indians  were  introduced: 

Westmoreland.  Jan* y  9th,  1777. 
Gentlemen:  The  Bearers  hereof  are  Part 
of  a  Large  Body  of  Indians  belonging  to  the 
six  Nations  who  have  Expressed  their  friend- 
ship for  the  United  States  of  America,  at  a 
Counsell  held  in  this  Place  this  day;  they 
als  Inform  us  they  are  npon  a  Journey  to 
Philadelphia  to  speak  with  the  Congress,  (if 
returned,)  Otherways  intended  to  see  Gen- 
eral Washington.  They  have  Desired  us  to 
write  to  you  it  beg  that  they  may  be  Pointed 
to  Places  to  Escape  the  Small  Pox  and  other 
Pestilential  Disorders,  I  if  such  there  be 
among  you.)  This  is  wrote  upon  their  Par- 
ticular Desire,  to  give  you  Information  of 
the  approach  of  the  Body  of  Indians,  which 
Con«i^ts  of  about  two  Hundred  Men,  women 
&  Children;  and  they  further  desired  us  to 
request  of  you  your  Influence,  that  their  Pro- 
posed treaty  might  be  at  Eastown  if  it  be 
possible  at  this    time,  for  fear   of  the  Dis- 


orders, &c,  Mentioned  a*  above;  we  Doubt 
not  but  you  will  Pay   due  attention  to  these 
People  at  this  time  when  their   favours  will 
be  more  Eligible  than  their  Frowns. 
Wo  beg  leave,  Gent'n,  to  Subscribe 
Ourselves  yonr  friends  &  very 

Humble  Servants, 
Nathan  Denison, 
William  Judd, 
Christ.  Avery. 
To  Eastown  Committee. 

That  the  Indiaus  were  cordially  received 
is  shown  by  the  following  memorandum, 
headed 

"THEEXPENOE  OF  THE  INGENS." 

TolGall.  of  spiritts £2    4   0 

To  1  Botlel 0     10 

To  2  wine  Decanters 0  12    6 

To  18  Gall,  of  Sider,  2-8, 2    80 

Toll  Gall,  of  sider,  J.  C,  8-0, 4    80 

To  7  Boles  Tody 1     ]    0 

To  4  Dobel  Boles  Do., 14   0 

To  1  :>  Nithes  aud  Days  hay  for  one  horse  2     5    0 

11    Do., 1   13    0 

8    Do., 1     4    0 

7    Do., 110 

£18    1  6 

•2  Nit  he '8  hay, 0    40 

£18    5  6 

Rec'd  Feb'y  18th,  1777.  of  Jas.  Dean,  the 
within  Acc't  in  full,  for  Isaac  Sidman. 

HENRY  FULLERT. 


A  recent  Wyoming  County  paper  thus 
states:  "Miss  Emily  C.  Blackman  wishes 
us  to  state  that  the  errata  of  her  History  of 
Susquehanna  County  are  about  to  be  publish- 
ed and  furnished  on  application  to  all  her 
subscribers,  gratis,  except  when  stamp  for 
mailing  is  necessary.  All  who  have  detected 
mistakes  will  please  give  her  notice  at  once, 
or  refrain  from  criticism  hereafter." 


Lancaster  County  has  organized  a  histori- 
cal society  and  it  has  done  so  none  too  soon. 
It  has  been  well  nigh  two  hundred  years 
since  the  nrst  white  settlements  were  made 
within  the  borders  of  what  is  now  Lancaster 
County,  and  more  than  a  century  and  a  half 
since  the  erection  of  the  county  itself. 

Following  are  the  officers  chosen  for  the 
permanent  organization:  President,  Rev. 
J.  H.  Dubbs,  D.  D.i  Vice-Presidents,  Hon. 
J.  P.  Wickersham,  Samuel  Evans;  Record- 
ing Secretary,  A.  F.  Hostetter:  Correspond- 
ing Secretary,  W.  W.  Griest;  Librarian,  S. 
H.  Znhm;  Treasurer.  S.  P.  Eaby:  Executive 
Committee.  F.  R.  DiffenderlTer,  J.  B.  Hip- 
pie, R.  M.  Reilly,  C.  T.  Steigerwalt,  C.  H. 
Stubbs.  H.  A.  Brickenstein,  Rev.  J.  Max 
Hark,  S.  C.  Slaymaker,  P.  C.  Hiller,  W.  U. 
Hensel. 


100 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


WAR  PRICES. 

Their  Rise  in  the  Confederate  States— Curi- 
ous Comparative  Shelving 

W.  H.  Beard,  of  Orange  Grove,  Miss., 
sends  to  tho  Louisville,  Ky.,  Courier-Jownal 
a  clipping  from  a  Mobile  paper,  published 
near  tho  close  of  the  war,  containing  a  com- 
parative table  of  prices  for  the  years  1802, 
'63,  '04  and  '65.     As  published  below  it   is 

an  interesting  and  instructive  bit  of  finan- 
cial history: 

CONFEDERATE  51ABKET  REPORTS. 

Articles                Jan"      Jan  '        Jhu"  Jan'< 

Articles.            18(..2>     lg63       186;t  lg(J5> 

Flour,  extra,  bbl .  .81 1  25  £57  00  S100  -10  $300  00 

Flour,  tine,   bbl..      8  00     50  00     100  10  200  00 

Cornmeal,  bu....     100      3  00  7  00 

Corn,  Back,  bu.. . .         88       3  00         4  50  8  50 

Coffee,  Rio,  lb ... .         00       3  25       11  50  50  00 

Sugar,  brown.lb..          7         35        3  00  12  00 
Sugar,  refined,  lb.         23       100         4  00 

Batter,  country,lb        50       1  00         3  00  8  00 

Kgg6,  doz 20   J  00    2  00 

Bacon,  lb 21    30    3  25  3  75 

Lard,  lb 19          53         3  00  3  00 

Fresh  beef,  lb....           8          15            85  125 

Fresh  pork,  lb ... .         14          30         1  95  1  50 

Coal,  ton 15oo                   150  00  200  00 

Candles,  sperm,  lb        75       2  00       12  00 
Salt,      .Liverpool, 

sack 1000  3800 

Soap,  hard,  lb....         12          50            80  2  50 

Tallow,  lb lb          80         1  50  5  00 

Potatoes.sweetjbu     1 00      2  50        5  50  12  oo 

Potatoes  Irish,bbl  10  o  »                    60  oO  80  00 

Onions,  bb» 8  O'l  100  25 

Chickens,  doz....   3  50   7  00   25  00  75  00 

Turkeis,  doz 10  00  30  00   75  00  100  44 

Mice,  lb 7           12            22  2  00 

Cow  peas,  bu 1  00       2  75         6  oo  14  00 

Molasses,    N.   0., 

^al 50       2  50        14  00  20  f0 

Apples,  dried,  lb..           7          28            60  2  oo 

Peaches,  dried,  lb         17           38            00  3  00 

Beeswax,  lb 30          00         175  5  0o 

Wheat,  bu 1 50                       7  CO  28  00 

Wood,  oak, cord..     3  50     15  CO       30  Oo  70  00 


James  Bird. 


Some  one  out  in  Ohio  appears  to  have  been 
writing  for  a  paper  there  relative  to  James 
Bird,  tho  hero  of  Lake  Erie,  as  we  learn 
from  the  following  letter  in  the  Xorfolk  Re- 
flector, from  C.  J.  Baldwin,  a  former  resi- 
dent of  Luzerne  County: 

Messrs.  Editors:  Your  correspondent. 
H.  Buckingham,  in  his  interesting  letter 
concerning  James  Bird,  is  mistaken  as  to  the 
authorship  of  the  son?.  It  was  not  written 
by  Charles  Dorrance,  as  he  claims,  but  by 
Charles  Miner.  My  information  is  positive 
and  direct.  I  am  a  native  of  Luzerne 
County,  Pa.,  where  I  resided  up  to  within 
twenty  years.    Am  familiar  with  the  history 


of  that  county  and  its  people,  pas!  and  pres- 
ent. Have  met  Mr.  Miner,  and  two  years 
ago  was  at  his  old  home,  now  occupied  by 
his  son,\Ym.  Penn,who  for  many  year.s  pub- 
lished the  Wilkes-Barre  Record  or  the 
Times,  to  whose  columns  it  has  been  my 
privilege  in  times  past  to  contribute  articles 
for  publication. 

Charles  Miner  published  at  Wilkes-Barre 
from  1801  to  1818,  a  paper  called  the 
(ilea no-  which,  it  is  reputed,  was  ably  edited. 
Was  afterwards  elected  to  Congress.  Sub- 
sequently devoted  Ins  time  mainly  to  litera- 
ture. Was  the  author  of  a  work  entitled  the 
History  of  Wyoming.  Col.  Charles  Dorrance, 
to  whom  Mr.  Buckingham  refers,  is  yet  liv- 
ing, has  a  princely  income  from  coal  lauds, 
and  his  age  is  now  S2  years.  His  military 
title  comes  from  having  been  elected  colo- 
nel  of  volunteer  militia  in  IH135,  at  which 
time  my  father  was  elected  major,  whose 
commission  was  -igned  by  Wolfe,  then  gov- 
ernor of  Pa.,  which  I  have  in  my  possession. 
Dorranoe's  grandfather,  George  Dorrance, 
was  killed  at  the  massacre  of  Wyoming, 
July  3d,  1778. 

Puce  and  Bowman,  two  of  Bird's  com- 
panions in  arms,  who  were  with  Perry  on 
tho  flagship,  Niagara,  lived  about  five 
miles  from  where  I  resided  and  when  a  boy 
I  heard  Pace  say  that  he  was  below  in  the 
ressol  throwing  up  cannon  bail,  and  just  be- 
fore the  close  of  the  action  Perry  said  to 
him:  "A  few  more  balls,  my  brave  fellow, 
and  the  day  is  ours."  Pace  said  it  was  im- 
possible to  even  imagine  the  electrifying 
effect  that  remark  had  upon  him.  He  could 
then  throw  with  greater  ease  two  balls  where 
he  had  thrown  one  before. 

Stewart  Pearce,  in  his  "Annals  of  Luzerne 
County,"  says  that  "Bird  was  from  Fittston, 
aud  was  descended  from  a  most  respectable 
family.  He  was  a  man  of  great  bodily 
strength  arid  activity,  and  was  fail  of  pa- 
triotic devotion  to  the  cause  of  hi-  country, 
but  unfortunately  his  proud  spirit  boldly  re- 
jected many  of  the  restraints  imposed  by 
the  stern  rules  of  military  discipline.  He 
fought  like  a  tiger,  and  when  wouuded  re- 
fused to  be  carried  below.  Kews  of  the  in- 
tended attack  of  the  enemy  on  New  Orleans 
had  reached  the  fleet  on  Lake  Erie,  and  Bird. 
ambitions  to  be  in  the  midst  of  the  smoke  and 
fire  of  battle,  one  night  when  in  command 
of  the  guard,  marched  away  with  several  of 
his  men  to  join  Gen.  Jackson.  ITe  was  pur- 
sued and  arrested  at  Pittsburg,  from  which 
place  he  was  about  to  embark  with  a  com- 
pany of  volunteers  for  the  Crescent  City. 
Being  arraigned  before  aud  tried  before  a 
court-martial,  he  was  sentenced,  in  accord- 
ance with  the  rules  of  war,  to  be  shot.  Had 
Commodore  Perry  received  intelligence  of 
the  proceedings  in  time,  Bird'*  life  svould 
have  been  spared.'" 


The  Hist  cord 


A  MONTHLY    PUBLICATION 


DEVOTED    PRINCIPALLY    TO 

TTbe  JEarlig  Ibiston?  of  Wyoming  lDalIc\> 

AND  CONTIGUOUS  TERRITORY 

WITH 

NOTES    AND    QUERIES 

Biographical,  Antiquarian,  Genealogical  . 

O 

EDITED  BY  F.  C.  JOHNSON,  M.  D. 


Vol.  i]  March  18S7  [No.  7 


VVILKES-BARRE,  pa. 

press  oi  Zbc  mil\\cs*Bavvc  IRccovo 

MDCCCLXXXVII 


The  Historical  Record. 


Contents 


The  Oldest  Printer  in  the  United  S&ites,  J.  F.  Meginness 101 

The  Hakes  Genealogy,  Dr.  H.  Makes' volume ! 102 

Early  Lackawanna,  Historical  Sketches,  Dr.  II.  Hollister 102-103 

Drunkenness  Now  and  Then,  Historical  Comparison 105 

An  old  Wyoming  Poem,  Juliana  Frances  Turner 105 

Dr.  VV.  H.  Egle,  the  new  State  Librarian k>6 

The  Cold  Summer  of  1816 107 

Wyoming  Valley  Poetry,  Critical  Survey,  Will  S.  Monroe 108 

History  and  Science  in  Scran  ton 109 

New  Historical  Publication,  Devoted  to  the  West  Branch 109 

Unpublished  Letters  relative  to  settlement  of  Allentown  and  Easton,  C.F.Hill  110-112 

An  O'd  Time  Masonic  Record 112 

Mr.  Yarington's  Old  Settlers'  List  Reviewed,  IV.  Johnson 113-114 

Finch  Family  Reunion 117 

H.  H.  Dcrr's  25th  Business  Anniversary 118 

Old  Time  River  Navigation,  Caleb  E.   Wright 119 

Wilcox  Genealogical  Data  Wanted ,.... 1 19 

Origin  and  Organization  of  the  Union  League,  C.  J.  Baldwin - 1 20 

Old  Landmarks  Going 122 

Loveland  Genealogy 121 

Autograph  Letter  ol  Washington 122 

Charles  Morgan's  45th  Wedding  Anniversary 122 

Reminiscences  of  Mrs.  Jesse  Thomas 123 

Latitude  of  Wilkes- Bane,  as  Observed  in  1755  anc*  1882,  S.  Jenkins 121 

Notes — 

Mrs    Swnrtz's  88th  Birthday 114 

The  Pennsylvania  Correspondent 118 

Cold  Summer  of  18 16 119 

Montgomer)  County  Historical  Society 120 

Bucks  County  Historical  Society 120 

Carey'  Avenue,  naming  of 121 

Not  a  relative  of  Mrs.  Garfield 121 

Deaths  — 

Joseph    Brown ..-.. 115 

\Vm,    S.  Davis 118 

Christian  Conrad 116 

H    C.  Engelke : 116 

M  rs.  Elizabeth  j .  Rirkbeck 116 

William    Best 116 

John   S.  Madden 117 

James  Ross 117 

Mrs.  Anna  Seely 120 

James  B.  Shaver 124 

Charles  Hay 103 

Abi  Slocum  Butler '. 104 

Silas  Alexander 106 


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Vol.   I. 


MARCH,  1887. 


No.  7. 


THIS  OLDEST  PRINTER. 


A  Visit  to  a  Venerable  Printer  and  Jour- 
nalist. 
Col.  John  F.  Meginness,  of  the  WilUams- 

port  Gazette  and  Bulletin,  recently  visited 
Major  Win.  P.  Elliott,  at  Lewistown,  the 
oldest  printer  and  editor  in  the  United 
States,  and  thus  tells  of  it: 

At  a  stated  hour  last  evening  we  called  on 
Major  Elliott,  whom  we  found  awaiting  as 
in  the  drawing  room  of  his  comfortable  resi- 
dence. He  partially  arose  and,  leaning  on 
his  cane,  warmly  greeted  ns  with  a  shake  of 
the  hands. 

"I  have  been  awaiting  you  for  a  quarter  of 
an  hour,"  he  said,  in  a  firm  voice,  and  tam- 
ing to  the  reverend  gentleman  continued: 
"I  told  you  to  bring  your  friend  at  7:30 
sharp;  it  is  nearly  a  quarter  past  that  time, 
but  it's  all  right." 

"I  have  long  had  a  desire  to  meet  yon," 
I  said.,  "as  it  is  claimed  by  the  press  that 
you  are  the  oldest  printer  and  editor  in  the 
United  States,  and  knew  many  of  the  leading 
men  and  politicians  who  flourished  three 
quarters  of  a  century  ago." 

His  couutenance  brightened  up  at  this  re- 
mark and  he  replied: 

'•Yes;  I  believe  I'm  the  oldest  printer  in 
this  country.  I  was  born  here  in  Lewis- 
town  January  12.  1703,  and  have  spent  my 
entire  life  in  and  about  this  place." 

"When  did  you  commence  learning  the 
trade?" 

"In  1807  I  was  apprenticed  to  Alexander 
&  Phillips,  publishers  of  the  Carlisle  Herald, 
to  learn  the  trade  of  a  printer.  I  was  to 
serve  four  years." 

"You  served  your  apprenticeship?" 

"Yes.  In  1811,  being  a  full  fledged 
journeyman.  I  returm-d  to  my  nnvive  town 
and  started  the  Juniata  Gazette,  in  connec- 
tion with  Jame-  Dixon.  It  is  still  published, 
but  is  now  known  as  the  Lewistown  Gazette." 

"You  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  war  of 
1812?" 

"L  did.  I  was  with  a  party  on  detached 
duty  wnen  the  battle  of  the  Thames  was 
fou  .ht,  and  saw  considerable  service  in  that 
part  of  the  country." 

"That  was  the  battle  in  which,  it  is  paid, 
Colonel  Dick  Johnson  killed  Tecumsch,  the 
famous  Indian  chief." 

"Yes,  sir;  I  think  there  is  no  doubt  that 
Johnson  killed  him  in  that  battle." 


"Did  you  ever  meet  Col.  Johnson?'' 

"1  have.  He  visited  me  here  many  years 
ago,  and  we  had  a  pleasant  time." 

"Were  you  in  tho  service  when  Perry 
gained  his  victory  on  Lake  Erie?" 

"I  was  near  enough  to  hear  the  sound  of 
his  guns  when  he  thrashed  theKritir-h  in  that 
naval  engagement." 

"Did  you  return  to  the  printing  business 
after  the  close  of  the  war?" 

"In  18 10  I  sold  out  my  interest  in  the 
Gazette  to  Mr.  Dixcu  and  engaged  in  other 
business,  which  i.  followed  with  varying 
success  for  many  years.  J.  was  cure  engaged 
in  the  turnace  business,  bnt  when  hard 
times  came  I  was  obliged  to  suspend. 
Finally,  in  1834,  I  returned  to  tho  old  Ga- 
zette, and  after  publishing  it  a  short  time, 
soid  out  to  my  son  in  1835." 

"You  knew  many  of  the  distinguished  men 
of  the  time?" 

"Very  well.  I've  met  Henry  Clay,  and 
once  I  traveled  with  him  down  the  river  from 
here  in  a  boat.  I  knew  James  i3uchanan 
well,  John  VV,  Foruey  and  many  other 
prominent  men  long  since  dead." 

"Did  you  know  U.  J.  Jones,  who  wrote  the 
story  called  'Simon  Girty,'  and  tho  history 
of  the  Juniata  Valley,  more  than  thirty  years 
ago?" 

"Very  well;  and  I  once  met  Simon  Girty, 
too.  I  visited  him  in  his  cabin,  near  Mai- 
den, after  the  battle  of  the  Thames." 

"You  are  an  older  printer  than  Gen. 
Simon  Cameron?" 

"Yes,  sir;  I  learned  my  trade  several 
years  before  Cameron  had  learned  to  set 
type." 

"You  attended  the  unveiling  of  the  monu- 
ment to  Gov.  Snyder,  at  Selmsgrove,  three 
years  ago?" 

"I  did,  and  I  believe  Gen.  Cameron  and 
myself  were  the  only  two  men  present  on 
that  occasion  who  knew  and  were  acquainted 
with  Gov.  Snyder.  I  have  in  my  possession 
a  commission  signed  by  Gov.  Snyder  com- 
missioning me  a  major  of  miiilia  iu  1817.  I 
had  a  hue  sword  and  uuitorm  once,  but  an 
officer  borroued  a  portiou  of  it  on  a  certain 
occasion  and  failed  to  return  it." 


Oliver  Iliilard  is  achieving  success  in  the 
effort  to  trace  the  genealogy  of  the  Hillard 
family,  and  is  iu  correspondence  with  mem- 
bers ot  different  branches  of  the  family  in 
various  States. 


102 


THE  HISTORICAL  HEC'ORD. 


The  Hakes  Genealoiry. 

When,  last  summer,  by  way  of  diversion. 
Dr.  Hakes  undertook  to  collate  and  formu- 
late his  genealogical  record  of  the  Hakes 
Family,  he  had  no  expectation  that  his  labor 
would  he  extended  beyond  a  few  weeks,  nor 
that  the  outcome  would  exceed  what  might 
be  comprised  in  a  dozen  to  twenty  pages  of 
maunscript.  The  volume  he  has  just  pub- 
lished contains,  however,  eighty-seven 
printed  pages.  The  record  covers  seven  gene- 
rations, and  the  list  of  names  reaches  the 
very  considerable  number  of  56L.  Its  pro- 
duction has  consumed  six  months  of  arduous 
work.  and.  that  it  is  complete  so  tar  as  ob- 
tainable, and  adds  an  original  feature  in 
arrangement  which,  while  it  does  not  disturb 
the  ordinary  method,  suggests  a  change  that 
is  likely  to  make  more  easily  traceable  the 
line  of  descent  in  branches  of  a  family,  is 
due  to  Dr.  Hakes'  thorough  way  of  working 
and  his  clear  conception  of  w  at  is  most 
intelligible  to  the  ordinary  reader. 

Solomon  Hakes  is  shown  to  be  the  com- 
mon ancestor.  He  had  sops,  George  and 
Jonathan.  Finding  that  the  living  descen- 
dants are  the  direct  posterity,  either  of  Jona- 
than or  of  the  sons  of  his  brother  George — 
Richard,  George  8.  and  James — the  con- 
tents of  the  book  are  arranged  in  four  table-. 
the  first  tracing  the  descendants  of  Jona- 
than, the  second  those  of  Richard,  the  third 
those  of  George  S.,  and  the  fourth  those  of 
James.  Dr.  Hakes  is  in  the  line  ot  George 
S.,  through  his  son  Lyman,  whose  children 
were  Lyman,  (who  was  a  member  of  the 
Luzerne  bar,  his  death  occuring  in  1873,; 
Minerva,  (the  mother  of  L  H.  Bennett,  Esq., ) 
Homer.  Adaline.  Harlo.  Harry,  <  who  was  an 
M.  D.  from  1846  to  18' 7,  and  a  member  of 
the  Luzerne  bar  since  and  at  present,)  Caro- 
line and  Vienna. 

The  Doctor  makes  this  laconic  observation 
for  those  who  may  inquire  as  to  his  reason 
for  publishing  the  book:  "To  those  who 
ponder  as  to  a  motive  to  make  a  record  of 
this  kind,  (quite  too  long  neglected  )  1  tru-t 
the  receipt  of  a  copy,  free  of  expense,  post- 
age paid,  will  be  a  consoling  answer." 
There  ought  to  be  in  every  family  one  who 
would  take  the  pains  to  preserve  the  fauml> 
record  that  is  so  admirably  t-  ken  in  this  in- 
stance. The  book  is  very  tastefully  printed, 
and  is  from  the  office  of  Robert  Baur  .v.  Son. 

in  connection  we  may  add  that  Dr.  Hakes 
made  in  his  researches  many  new  acquaint- 
ances, renewing  old  ones  as  well,  and  in 
order  to  create  fraternal  feeling  and  freshen 
family  traditions,  ho  purposes  having  a 
meeting  of  members  of  the  family  at  the 
National  Hotel,  Niagara  Falls,  on  the  first 
Wednesday  in  August.  He  is  making  every 
eflort  to  induce  a  large  turnout,  and  we  dare 
say  he  will  secure  it,  and  will  have  withal  a 
royal  good  time. 


Early  Luokuvunna. 
[Dr.  Hollistor  in  Scranton  Troth.  I 

Fifty-four  years  were  measured  and  red- 
dened  by  wars  and  massacres  at  Wyoming 
after  the  Indian  purchase,  before  stone  coal 
through  the  genius  of  Judge  Fell,  of  Wilkes- 
Barre,  achieved  its  triumph  over  wood  as  a 
fael  in  1808.  This  fact  imparted  the  first 
dun  conception  to  the  farmers  of  Lacka- 
wanna that  the  black  staff  along  the  streams 
and  new  lands  offending  the  eje  and  the 
plough,  mignt  be  nut  to  better  u*e  than 
impoverishing  the  soil  otherwise  produc- 
tive. The  population  of  the  valley  in 
1808  12  was  small  and  the  inhabitants 
poor.  Occupied  with  the  plain  duties 
of  husbandry,  put  to  their  wits'  end  to 
provide  for  the  pressing  wants  of  large  fami- 
lies, they  gave  no  thought  to  the  mineral  re- 
sources of  the  country,  of  which  they  were 
totally  ignorant  until  Judge  Fell's  success 
was  d  filled  throughout  the  country.  No  one 
thought  of  digging  coal,  becnuse  it  was 
worthless  to  atl  but  the  few  blacksmiths  oc- 
casionally at  work  with  it  near  some  cross 
roads.  As  the  rivers  and  the  various  streams 
entering  it  from  the  mountains  had  laid  coal 
bare  in  many  places  by  the  action  of  the 
water,  the  citizens  of  Fittston  and  Provi- 
dence.  began  to  estimate  the  probable  worth 
of  this  new  fuel.  In  the  absence  of  authen- 
tic record,  it  is  difficult  if  not  impossible  to 
put  the  credit  of  first  burning  stone 
coal  in  the  valley  where  it  really 
belongs,  The  pioneers  from  New  Eng- 
land were  not  tempted  here  with  the 
hope  of  tiuding  anthracite.  Here  and  there, 
generally  by  a  spring,  a  log  cabin  emerged 
from  the  fre^h  burned  clearing  in  which 
brave,  heart*  and  strong  arms  met  the  as- 
saults of  poverty  with  undaunted  heroism. 

Communication  with  the  lower  valley,  car- 
ried on  by  the  returning  mill  boy,  who  told 
what  he  had  heard  at  the  mill  while  waiting 
ror  iii*  grist,  slowly  agitated  the  settlement 
with  the  success  of  Fell's  burning  coal  in  a 
grate.  Preserved  Taylor,  a  man  of  observa- 
tion and  judgment,  who  lived  on  the  western 
border  ot  Capouse  Meadow,  owned  the  Tripp 
firm  whose  margin  was  watered  by  a  small 
rivulet.  From  a  vein  of  coal  brought  to  light 
hi  the  receding  waterfall,  near  the  present 
Mount  Pieasant  Colliery,  he  gathered  a  few 
lumps  for  a  tire  in  his  kitchen  in  the  autumn 
of  l*sl0.  two  years  later  than  its  introduction 
in  Wilke*-Barre. 

Cod,  like  wood,  everywhere  abundant, 
cost  nothing  but  the  trouble  of  drawing  it  to 
the  farmer'*  home  on  the  bob  sled  in  winter 
time.  As  it  made  a  fire  which  would  last  all 
night  and  far  into  the  next  day  without  the 
trouble  of  kindling  it  each  -nece^-dve  dawn 
with  ha'f  fto/.-n  fingers  and  a  wheezy  bel- 
lows it  soon  advocated  its  way  among  the 
farmers    along   the   river   who  were  able  to 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


108 


employ  a  smith  to  make  one  of  the  primi- 
tive grates  of  the  clay. 

WHAT  T1IK  COAL    SULPHUB   DID. 

These  grates  had  so  little  draught  to  them 
that  most  of  the  sulphur  from  the  coal  en- 
tered the  room.  Before  the  advent  of  coat 
fires  everybody  had  the  cutaneous  eruption 
known  as  the  seven-year  itch.  In  families 
where  coal  was  used  it  soon  disappeared  and 
the  luxury  of  scratching  entirely  ceased  with 
the  introduction  of  coal  fires.  It  may  as- 
tonish many  to  learn  the  fact  that  because 
this  new  kind  of  sulphur  cure  offered  a 
cheap,  quick  sovereign  remedy  for  what  was 
then  prevalent  throughout  the  country  in 
spite  of  brimstone  rolls  and  ointments  as- 
siduously employed,  it  more  readily  was 
adopted  by  the  wood  burners  and  choppers. 
No  powder  or  pick  was  necessary  to  secure 
coal.  A  crowbar  or  hand  spike  and  a  peck 
basket  constituted  the  entire  mining  ma- 
chinery of  the  valley  in  1810. 

The  Richest  Dimple. 

The  richest  dimple  in  the  Appalacian  chain 
of  mountains  is  known  as  the  Lackawanna 
coal  held.  No  minor  vale  in  any  province, 
territory  or  State  has  so  widely  diffused  its 
name  throughout  the  hemispheres  as  ha* 
this,  simply  by  the  wonder  of  its  devolptnent 
and  the  rigor  of  its  coal  literature.  The  an- 
thracite field  of  Lackawanna,  with  that  of 
Wyoming  lying  in  Lackawanna  and  Luzerne 
Counties,  in  Pennsylvania,  within  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  of  the  sea- 
board, embraces  the  territory  above 
the  Blue  Mountains,  known  in  coal 
nomenclature  as  the  "Northern  Coal  Dis- 
trict," was  purchased  of  the  Indians  com- 
prising the  Six  Nations  at  Fort  Stanwix,  in 
the  Province  of  New  York,  July  11,  1754,  by 
the  Connecticut  Susquehanna  Company,  be- 
fore the  wiid  men  knew  of  the  nature  or  ex- 
istence of  coal  or  the  value  or  the  wide  tract 
they  ceded  to  the  whites  for  a  triile.  It  was 
hot  sought  out  by  the  emigrants  from  New 
Eu^land  tor  its  authracite,  because  they  too 
were  without  knowledge  of  its  presence  or 
value. 

The  consideration  given  the  assembled 
chiefs  wa-<  £2,000,  New  York  currency,  equal 
to  S  10,000  in  silver.  This  sum,  unlike 
annuities  promised  the  savages  iu  the  >.:reat 
West  tor  their  possessions  to-day,  was  hon- 
estly paid  them  on  the  spot.  Covered  with 
forest*  whose  depths  wee  rarely  trodden  by- 
warriors  and  never  mapped  by  the  canoe- 
lovers  who  claimed  them  from  their  father*, 
the  purchase  was  made  by  the  whites  for  t he 
rea-on  that  the  mild  character  of  the  climate 
and  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  especially  along 
the  Susquehanna  and  Lackawanna  lowlands, 
where  fish  and  game  were  abundant,  assured 
the    husbandman  of  plenty  from  the  very 


start,  without  extraordinary   labor  or  exer- 
tion. 

A  century  retires  before  the  coal  revolu- 
tion. Men  will  read  these  articles  whose 
infant  cries  were  lulled  to  sleep  by  a 
mother's  song  at  eventide  beside  the  wood 
tiro  aglow  m  the  old  lire  place  without 
measuring  in  their  minds  the  transition 
from  the  wood  to  the  coal  period.  So  thor- 
oughly and  yet  so  qnie  ly  has  this  great, 
grand  revolution  been  carried  on  in  a  spirit 
of  rivalry,  if  not  extravagance,  that  many 
in  their  haste  for  wealth,  have  forgotten  the 
hanging  of  the  crane  over  the  hearthstones 
where  they  were  born. — H.  HolHster,  M.  I)., 
in  S(  ronton  'J  ruth. 

Death  of  a  Former  Wilkes-Barreau. 

Hay.— At  hib  residence  in  Moalton  Township, 
three  miles  w«v,t  of  Wapakoneta,  O.,  on  Feb.  12, 
1887,  of  Bright's  disease,  Charles  Hay,  aged  t>9 
years,  C>  months  and  27  days. 

We  copy  the  above  death  notice  from 
the  Auglaize  Republicanoi  PHh  ot  February. 
The  deceased  was  born  in  Wilkes  Barre 
Township,  now  Plains,  July  15,  1817.  He 
was  a  son  of  Henry  Hay,  blacksmith,  whose 
shop  and  place  of  residence  was  the  first 
house  this  side  of  the  late  Esquire  James 
Stark's  place  on  the  main  road  leading  to 
Pittston.  He  was  married  in  1819  to  Ellen 
Jackson,  of  Wilkes-Barre,  and  removed  to 
Auglaize  County,  Ohio,  in  the  fall  of  1855, 
where  he  has  since  lived.  His  wife  died  in 
July  1868,  leaving  a  family  of  five  girls  and 
a  son,  all  now  living.  For  his  second  wife  he 
married  Martha  Young,  of  Auglaize,  in  1870, 
who  died  in  1879.  leaving  four  childien,  all 
now  living,  in  1881  he  married  Miss  Mary 
Larue,  of  Wilkes- Barre,  who  still  survives 
him.  M r.  Hay  was  a  kind  husband  and  an 
affectionate  father.  He  ha*  paid  several  vis- 
its to  his  native  town  since  removing  to  the 
West,  and  was  always  welcomed  kindly  by 
the  few  of  bis  former  neighbors  and  friends 
of  old  Plains  who  knew  him  well  as  boy  aud 
man  for  so  many  years,  and  who  still  sur- 
vive him;  but  the  old  stock  of  thirty-five 
years  ago  are  becoming  few  and  far  be- 
tween: a  new  people,  with  new  pursuits  aud 
new  objects  in  life  have  almost  wholly  sup- 
planted the  original  tillers  of  the  soil  and 
driven  them  to  seek  new  homes,  many  of 
them  on  the  rich  farm  lands  towards  the  re- 
gion of  the  setting  sun,  while  the  subterra- 
nean toilers  in  the  mines  now  hero  risk  life 
and  limb  to  ^ain  a  scanty  subsistence  in 
bringing  to  the  surface  our  black  diamonds 
of  commerce. 


A  history  of  the  Dean  Family  is  now  being 
published  by  Lean  Dudley,  Wakefield,  Mass. 
The  work  is  illustrated,  has  tabular  pedi- 
grees and  sells  for  85—81  each  for  6  parts. 
The  author  invites  data  from  representatives 
of  the  Dudley  family. 


104 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


THE  LATE  A  HI  SI.OCUM  BUTLER. 


A  Representative  of  Several  Distinguished 
Pioneer  Families  ol  Wyoming  Valley 
—  Her  Funeral. 

The  last  tribute  of  reppect  was  paid  fo  the 
memory  of  the  late  Mrs.Abi  S.  Butler  March 
15,  by  a  large  concourse  of  sorrowing 
friends  at  tho  residence  of  her  daughter, 
Mrs.  Rath  B.  liiJlard.  The  services  were 
conducted  by  the  pastor  of  the  First  M.  E. 
Chnrch,to  which  deceased  had  belonged  since 
childhood.  He  was  assisted  by  Rev.  Dr.  Y. 
C.  Smith,  the  oldest  surviving  pastor  of  the 
church,  he  having  served  from  186-1  to  18G0. 
The  latter  made  a  most  touching  address.  A 
choir  consisting  of  Miss  Nellie  Wells,  Miss 
Edith  Puckey,  Frank  Packey  and 
John  C.  Jeffries  sang  the  hymns. 
There  was  a  profusion  of  beautiful 
flowers.  The  honorary  pall  bearers  were 
\V.  W.  L  -oinis  F.  V.  Rockafellow,  L.  1). 
Shoemaker,  N.  Ratter,  Josiah  Lewis  and 
Richard  Sharpe,  aud  the  carriers  were  C.  B. 
Price,  Wm.  Dickover,  E.  J.  Sturdevant, 
Thomas  Connor,  Theron  Burnet  and  G.  W. 
KirRendall.  Among  the  relatives  from  out 
of  town  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Robert  H.  Sayre 
Jr.,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  E.  B.  Ajres,  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
H.  E.  Lewis,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chahoon,  Mrs. 
Nice,  Mrs.  John  B.  Lovet  Mrs.  Mary  Butler 
Reynolds,  Fierce  Butler  and  Mrs.  Martha 
Butler.  Other  family  representatives  were 
George  Slocum  Bennett,  Frank  A.  Phelps, 
W.  L.  Couyugham,  Charles  Parrish,  Col.  C. 
M.  Couyugham,  Judge  Woodward,  Mrs. 
Amanda  Butler,  C.  E.  Butler.  Interment 
to<>k  place  in  Hollenback  Cemetery. 

Mrs.  Butler's  rather,  Joseph  Slocum.  was  a 
a  prominent  man  iu  old  Wilkes- Barre  ana 
took  a  leading  part  in  local  affairs.  He  mar- 
ried, iu  1800,  Sarah,  daughter  of  Judgo 
Jesse  Fell,  whose  discovery  that  anthracite 
cool  coud  be  burned  in  an  ordinary  open 
grate  was  made  iu  1808,  the  tir.-t  discovery 
that  authrciciie  could  be  used  for  domestic 
purposes.  There  were  seven  children  from 
this  union.  Hannah,  b  )rn  1800,  married 
Ztha  Bennett  and  died  in  1855.  Ru'h  Tripp, 
born  180-1.  married  Gen.  Wm  8.  Ross  and 
died  iu  1882.  Deborah,  born  1806,  mar- 
ried Auumg  Chahoon.  Abi  Slocum,  born 
1808,  married  Lord  Batler  and  died  in 
1887.  Georue,  horn  18 12,  married  Mary 
Graudou.  Jonathan,  born  1815,  married 
Eliz-tbeth  Cutler  Le  Clerc,  and  died  in  1800. 
Unmet  Elizabeth,  born  1819,  married 
Charles  B.  Drake  and  is  the  only  one  of  the 
children  living. 

At  the  age  of  24  Abi  Slocum  was  married 
to  Col  Lord  Butler.  She  spent  h*-r  entire 
life  in  Wilkes-Barre.      Her    daughter,  Ruth 


B.,  is  tho  widow  of  W.  S.  Hillard.  Mary  B., 
is  the  wife  ot  Eugene  B  Ayrcs.  Of  lour 
sons,  Joseph,  Zebulon,  Ziba  and  Edmund 
G.,  the  latter  is, the  only  one  living.  Mrs. 
Butler  w.is  a  Methodist  by  iraining  and  by 
preference  and  her  happiest  hours  wore 
spent  within  {no  walls  ot  the  sanctuary.  She 
was  a  woman  whose  heart  beat  quick  to 
everj  call  for  help,  and  there  will  be  many 
poor  families  who,  in  her  death,  lose  a  friend 
who  was  ever  dispensing  aid.  Her  charities 
were  quiet,  but  wide  reaching.  She  was  the 
first  president  of  the  Beard  of  Lady  Man- 
agers of  the  Wilkes-Barre  Hospital  and 
member  of  tho  lady  managers  of  tho  Home 
for  the  Prieudlei-s,  taking  an  active  interest 
in  both.  Mrs.  Butler's  demise  was  not  un- 
anticipated, as  she  had  for  some  time  b-en 
in  an  apparent  decline,  with,  however,  little 
or  no  suffering  attending  it. 

Mrs.  Butler's  husband  was  a  son  of  Gen. 
Lord  Butler,  and  a  grandson  of  Col  Zebulon 
Butler.  The  latter  bore  a  distinguished 
part  in  the  troublous  times  of  early  Wyo- 
miug,  and  was  in  command  of  the  heroic 
baud  of  settlers  who  fought  the  combined 
force  of  British,  Indians  and  Tories  in  1778. 
Zebulon  Btttier  married  for  his  lirst  wife 
Anna  Lord,  and  it  was  from  this  union  that 
the  elder  Lord  Butler  was  born  at  Lyme, 
Conn.,  iu  1770.  Lord  Butler  became  prom- 
inent in  Wyoming  affairs,  was  advanced  to 
the  highest  position  in  the  local  militia,  was 
the  lirst  sheriff  of  Luzerne  County,  and 
afterwards  held  tho  po-iuous  of  pruthono- 
tary,  clerk  of  the  courts,  register  and  re- 
corder, court  then  being  held  at  his  house, 
earner  of  River  aud  ^Northampton  Streets, 
where  Judge  Stanley  Woodward  now  lives. 
Iu  1790  he  was  a  member  of  the  Supreme 
Executive  Council  of  the  State,  in  17U4  he 
was  postmaster  of  Wilkes- Barre,  in  ISol  he 
was  a  State  Assemblyman,  and  afterwards 
was  county  commissioner  and  county  treas- 
urer. Stiii  later  he  was  a  tovvn  councilman 
of  Wilkes  Barre  Borough,  its  president,  and 
from  1811  to  1814  was  burge.-s.  He  mar- 
ried Mary  Pierce,  granddaughter  of  Abel 
Pierce,  one  of  the  original  settlers  in  Wyo- 
ming. 

Their  youngest  son  bore  his  father's  name, 
Lord  Butler,  and  he  was  born  iu  1800.  tie 
married  in  18:;'_2  the  subject  of  this  .-ketch, 
who  was  two  years  his  junior,  but  who 
survived  her  husband  25  year-,  he 
dying  ia  1801  at  ttie  brick  building 
ou  Public  Square  now  occupied  by 
Brown's  book  ^tore.  This  building  was 
erected  by  his  wife's  father.  Joseph  Slocum, 
in  1807.  Ii  was  the  first  brick  house  erected 
iu  Wilkes- Barre.  Lord  Butler,  ~d,  was  a 
civil  engineer  by  profession, and  was  identi- 
fied with  several  important  constructions  m 
this  region.  During  the  last  '20  years  of  his 
life  ho  was  engaged  in  coal  mining  at  Pitts- 


THE  H1S20RICAL  RECORD. 


105 


tou,  with  his  brother,Col.  John  L.  Bntler,and 
his  brother-in-law,  Judge  Garnck  Mallery. 
Ho  was  h  leading  man  in  the  M.  L.  Church. 
Is  is  wife  organised  a  Snrfday  school  in 
Wilkes  B»rro  as  early  as  1829. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  a  niece  of 
the  celebrated  Frances  Slocnrn,  who  whs 
captured  by  the  Indians  in  1778  and  carried 
from  her  Wilkes-Barre  home  into  the  wilder- 
ness by  a  roving  band  of  Deiawares.  she  be- 
ing at  this  time  tive  years  of  age.  The  story 
of  her  captivity  and  her  romantic  finding 
nearly  60  years  later,  among  a  tribe  of  West- 
ern Indians,  i*  familiar  to  every  schoolchild. 
The  niece,  whose  death  has  just  occurred, 
was  the  po-sessnr  of  a  lite-size  portrait,  in 
Indian  garb,  of  the  "Lost  Sister/'  who  conld 
not  be  persuaded  to  return  to  her  kindred, 
but  preferred  to  die  among  the  children  of 
the  forest,  the  only  friends  of  whom  she  had 
any  knowledge. ' 

An  Old  Wyoming  Poem. 

So  far  as  we  know  the  following  beautiful 
lines  have  never  appe  red  in  any  newspaper. 
They  are  taken  from  a  rare  volume,  in  the 
possesion  of  the  Historical  Society,  entitled 
"The  Harp  of  the  Beech  Wqorte,"  printed 
and  published  at  Montrose  in  162*3  by  Adam 
Waldie,  the  author  being  Juliana  Frances 
Turner,  who  describes  her  volume  as  being 
made  up  solely  from  'the  wild  flowers  of  the 
forest."  It  is  a  collection  of  extremely 
meritorious  ver=es  and  was  presented  to 
tho  society  in  1858  by  Edward  S.  Loop: 

THE  VALE  OF  WYOMING. 

Ad;eu  to  th^e,  Wyoming,  loveliest  thIp! 

To  thy  mountains,  thy  rills  and  thy  groves. 
To  the  flowers  which    in    clusters  enamel  thy 
dale. 

Where  the  birds  tell  the  tale  of  their  loves. 

Where  the  spirits  of  Albert  and  Gertrude  are 
seen 

By  Cynthia's  pal"  shadowy  li^cht, 
Wnile  th*  dark    'utaiissi  and  Henry's  mil '  mien 

'Look  lik*  morning  led  oa  b>  the  night." 

Where  the  genius  of  Campbell    has   loved  to  re- 
pose 
His  might  and  his  sweetness  of  vpr^e. 
Where  tin  bloom  of  the  thistle  it ■>  wild  magic 
throws 
O'er  the  scene  his  bright  numbers  rehearse. 

Adieu  ye  sweet  shades!  from  my  mind  whilst  1 
live 

Your  rem  mbranca  never  will  fade; 
Fond  fancy  in  song  oft  her  t'lhu  e  shaU  give 

To  each  hill  a..d  each  beautiful  glade. 


Ex-Surgeon  General  Hammond,  the  emi- 
nent New  York  physician,  ha*  issued  another 
historical  novel  from  the  press  of  D.  Apple- 
ton  &  Co.,  entitled  "Oo  the  Susquehanna. " 
The  sceue  is  laid  at  Harrisburg  and  people 
in  Dauphin  County  claim  to  see  through  the 
thin  disguises  of  many  of  the  characters. 


DruiikeneM  Now  and  Tlicn. 

The  letters  of  "Steele  Penne"  in  tho 
Media  A meriean  are  always  entertaining  in 
their  style  and  independent  in  their  senti- 
ments. Not  the  least  so  is  a  recent  compar- 
ison of  the  liquor  habit  a  century  ago  with 
tho  liquor  habit  to-day,  which  comparison 
redounds  much  to  tho  discredit  of  our  sober 
ancestors. 

Steele  Fenne  has  taken  the  pains,  he  says 
— and  we  will  accept  his  word  for  it  -to  look 
over  some  of  the  old  records,  and  diligent 
search  therein  has  persuaded  him  that  we 
have  progressed  moro  rapidly  ia  everything 
else  than  in  drunkenness.  Such  a  bold 
statement  iu  defiance  of  the  rhetoric  and 
warnings  of  male  and  fomale  lecturers  on 
the  spirituous  degeneracy  of  the  times, 
savors  of  a  temerity  that  all  will  admire.  We 
will  append,  for  the  justification  of  "Steele 
Pen ue,M  a  ft  w  of  the  f  eta  that  he  claims  in 
support  of  his  conclusion. 

First,  then,  there  are  not  as  many  public 
houses  where  liquor  is  sold  under  a  license 
in  this  country  as  there  were  a  century  ago. 
In  Delaware  County,  at  that  anc  ent  day, 
there  were  six  time-  as  many  liquor  places, 
in  proportion  to  the  population,  as  at  pre- 
sent. In  Chester  County,  cited  as.  the  pre- 
sent paradise  of  liquor  dealers,  the  ratio 
in  one  hundred  years  has  fallen  in  a  wonder- 
ful degree. 

It  is  claimed,  and  with  apparent  founda- 
tion, by  the  unterritied  "Steele  Penne''  that 
illicit  liquor  selling  was  carried  on  to  a 
greater  extent  in  the  age  of  our  great-grand- 
fathers than  in  the  present  day.  Drinking 
on  Sunday  is  showu  to  have  been  a 
favorite  and  general  custom  at  the  public 
houses,  a  popular  beverage  being  "Satnp- 
pon,"  so-called  doubtless  trom  its  strength. 
Drinking  at  funerals  was  a  common  custom 
much  honored  in  the  observance. 

In  order  to  inspire  t>ig  bids  at  vendues, 
liquor  was  on  draught,  free  to  all,  and  as 
plenteous  as  water.  In  fact,  liquor  appears 
to  lnye  been  a  concomitant  of  every  social, 
political  or  mixed  gathering.  Juror*,  in 
capital  cases  on  trial,  were  invigorated  for 
their  deliberations  by  the  rum  bottle,  and 
bills  for  such  refreshment  for  jurors,  com- 
missioners, assessors  aod  justices  were  paid 
by  the  county.  Tho  custom  of  drinking  on 
New  Year's  Day  is  so  recently  abandoned  as 
to  be  readily  recalled. 

All  in  all,  "Steele  Penne"  makes  out  a 
strong  case  for  his  conclusion  that  drinking 
and  druukenness  are  not  at  present  so  pre- 
valent as  iu  the  days  ot  our  sober  ancestors. 
That  the  liquor  habit  is  still  the  worst  social 
evil  that  the  world  is  struggling  with  "Steele 
Penuo"  does  not  attempt  to  confute;  if  he 
were  to  make  the  attempt  we  are  sure  he 
would  find  it  beyond  his  power. 


KM! 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECOUD. 


Tiie  JSeiv  SLue  Librarian. 

Our  telegraphic  columns  announced  sev- 
eral days  ago  the  appointment  of  Dr.  Wm. 
H.  32gle,  of  Harribburg,  as  Stale  Librarian. 
Although  there  were  other  available  men 
anions  the  applicants,  notably  the  venerable 
editor  of  the  York  Dispatch,  Mr.  Hiram 
Young,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  the  appoint- 
ment of  Dr.  Egle  could  not  have  been  im- 
proved upon.  Dr.  Egle  is  56  years  ot  age 
and  has  always  lived  in  Harrisburg.  In  hi* 
boyhood  days  he  learned  the  printer's 
trade  and  subsequently  had  charge  of 
the  State  printing.  He  also  en 
gaged  for  a  time  in  editorial  work 
in  Harrisburg.  At  the  age  of  24  he  began 
the  study  ot  medicine,  graduating  from  the 
University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1859.  He 
practiced  his  profession  in  Harrisburg  until 
1862, when  after  the  second  Bull  Run  he  was 
telegraphed  for.by  Adjutant  General  Itus- 
sell,  of  Pennsylvania,  to  go  to  Washington 
to  assist  in  the  care  of  the  wounded,  which 
duty  he  performed.  Soon  after  he  was  com- 
missioned assistant  surgeon  of  the  0t5th  P. 
V.,  and  in  1863  surgeon  of  the  47th  P.  V. 
militia.  Afterwards  President  Lincoln  ap- 
pointed him  surg^ou  of  volunteers  and  he 
was  ordered  to  Kentucky  and  elsewhere. 
During  the  Appomattox  campaign  he  was 
chief  executive  medical  officer  of  Birney's 
Division,  24th  Army  Corps,  and  later  held 
the  same  position  in  the  25th  Corns. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Dr.  Egle  again 
located  in  Harrisburg,  but  a  taste  for  liter- 
ary pursuits  tempered,  perhaps,  with  the  ab- 
sence of  the  excitement  of  held  life,  made 
private  practice  irk-ome  and  he  did  but 
little  of  it,  engaging  meanwhile  in  the  drug 
trade,  which  he  still  follows  as  closely  as  his 
literary  work  will  »  ermit. 

Upon  the  organization  of  the  National 
Guard  of  Pennsylvania  in  1870  he  was  ap- 
pointed surgewn-in-chief  of  the  Fifth  Di- 
vision, with  the  rank  of  Lieutenant  Colonel, 
and  he  is  now  the  senior  medical  officer  in 
the  N.  G.  P. 

He  i«  a  member  of  many  historical  and 
learned  societies  in  America  and  Kngland. 
He  is  the  author  of  a  "History  of  Pennsyi- 
vauia,"  published  iu  1876  and  was  asso- 
ciated with  Hon.  John  Blam  Lion,  in  ed  t 
ing  12  volumes  of  the  second  serie-  of 
'"Penns>lvania  Ar(  hives."  Later  productions 
of  his  pen  are  histories  of  Dauphin  and 
Lebanon  Counties  aud  the  initial  volume  of 
"Pennsylvania  Genealogies."  a  -up^rb 
volume  of  «>ver  700  pages.  Dr.  E_de  edi's 
the  department  of  Notes  and  Queries  in  the 
Harrisburg  Telegraph,  a  historical  feature 
which  finds  mi  imitator  in  he  Historical 
Co'nmn  of  the  we-kly  Record 

He  will  bring  to  his  duties  of  State  Librar- 
ian, a  mind  admirably  adapted  to  the  work 
in  hand,  an  experience  in  the  realm  of  State 


history  having  no  equal  in  the  Common- 
wealth, and  an  enthusiasm  born  of  love 
lor  books  that  will  revolutionize  the  State 
Library.  Gov.  Beaver  is  entitled  to  the 
thanks  of  all  good  citizens  for  making  the 
appointment. 

Death    of  Silas   .Alexander. 
[Daily  Record,  March  5.] 

At  20  minutes  to  7  last  evening  Silas 
Alexander,  the  serious  accident  to  whom 
was  reported  in  Thursday's  Recobd,  died  at 
his  residence  over  Bergold's  meat  market  on 
East  Market  Street.  Since  his  severe  fall  on 
Wednesday  afternoon  by  which  a  leg  was 
fractured  and  one  hip  dislocated  he  had 
been  .-teadily  sinking,  and  the  effects  of  his 
injuries  were  further  aggravated  by  the 
manifestations  of  kidney,  disease.  Since 
Thursday  afternoon  he  had  been  partially 
unconscious  and  could  with  difficulty  be 
aroused  from  Ids  comatose  condition.  He 
seemed  to  sutler  considerably,  but  his  last 
hurs  were  more  calm  and  he  appeared  com- 
paratively free  from  pain. 

Mr.  Alexander  was  born  in  Dover, 
Su-sex  County,  N.  J.,  April  25,  1709, 
his  parents  being  of  English  extrac- 
tion. He  was  educated  at  the 
Newton  Academy  in  New  Jersey,  and  hav- 
ing completed  his  course  there  took  charge 
of  the  institution  for  one  term.  His  parents 
had  died  when  he  was  quite  jouug  and  he 
had  been  brought  up  by  an  uncle.  In  1820 
he  left  his  native  town  and  moved  to  Nanti- 
coke  where  he  continuously  resided  for  over 
50  years.  At  first  he  taught  school  in  that 
town  but  after  a  few  years  opened  a  gen- 
eral store  which  was  largely  patronized  by 
the  boatmen  who  plied  on  the  canal.  He 
was  married  Oct.  10,  1821,  to  Elizabeth, 
daughter  of  Valentine  Smith,  of  N  wport 
township,  bj  whom  he  had  13  chiloren, 
seven  of  whom  survive  him.  His  wife  died 
in  September.  1871,  and  Nov.  20,  1873 
he  married  his  second  wife,  the  widow 
of  Samuel  Puterbau-jh,  by  whom  he  is 
sn-vived  though  no  children  resulted  from 
this  union. 

His  surviving  children  are  Cym*.  John  J., 
Ku-rene,  Adrian,  Phoebe,  wife  of  William 
Li-isenring,  who  reside  in  N-.nticoke,  Dnran 
C,  a  prosp^rou-*  merchant  of  Laporte  Ind  ; 
and  Washington,  who  re>ides  in  Benton 
township. 

Mr.  Alexander  moved  to  this  city  some 
eight  or  ten  years  ago  but  still  corned  on 
th^  store  nt  N  nticoke  until  ahout  two  years 
atro  whed  he  sold  out  to  his  sou  Eugene  who 
now  carries  on  the  business.  The  funeral 
will  probably  take  place  Tuesday  after- 
noon with  interment  in  Hanover  Green 
cemetery.  He  leaves  an  estate  valued  at 
£300,000. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Iu7 


The  Year  Without  a  Summer. 

The  Reoobd  desires  to  elicit  some  details 
from  its  readers  as  to  the  famous  "cold 
BUmnier"  of  1H1(;.  Some  of  our  readers 
can  recall  that  yoar  from  their  own 
memories,  while  others  have  heard  the  story 
as  it  was  told. 

Oo  the  18th  of  August,  1886,  Mrs.  A  drew 
Raub  died  ia  Lnz  -roe  Borough  at  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  Oo  years.  Iu  the  ReCoBD's 
biographical  >ketch  of  this  venerable  mother 
appeared  the  following  reference  to  the 
famous  "cold  su  timer:" 

•'tier  husband,  who  came  from  New 
Jers'-y  to  visit  f'iends  in  Wyoming  Valley 
was  wont  to  tell  his  children  ever  afterwards 
about  that  visit,  for  it  was  during  the  cold 
summer  of  1816—  a  year  when  every  month 
hid  its  frost.  He  u-ed  to  s  i.v  that  iu  June 
there  wa^  a  snow  storm  which  bore  heavily 
upon  the  wheat,  thnn  iu  bloom:  that  many 
of  the  farmers  t  »ok  clothes  lin^s  and  «crayed 
the  suow  from  the  bending  grain:  that  those 
who  did  this  lost  their  crops  while  the  ones 
wtio  trusted  to  nature  had  no  harm  come  to 
their  grain;  and  that  wh-n  the  harvest 
finally  came  the  farm  hands  went  to  the 
fields  wearing  their  great  coats." 

The  f  ollowiug  reminiscence  of  that  remark- 
able year  is  credited  to  Mr.  Abram  Runyon, 
the  venerable  father  of  Chancellor  liunyon, 
which  he  recently  wrote  to  a  friend  at  Plain- 
field,  N.  J.: 

"In  the  year  lb  16  there  was  a  sharp  frost 
in  every  month.  It  was  known  as  the  'year 
without  a  summer.'  The  farmers  used  to 
refer  to  it  as  'eighteen  hundred  and  starve  to 
death.'  Iu  May  ice  formed  half  an  inch 
thick,  buds  and  flowers  were  frozen  and  corn 
killed.  Frost,  and  ice  and  suow  were  com- 
mon in  June;  almost  every  green  thing  was 
killed,  and  the  fruit  was  nearly  all  destroyed. 
Snow  fell  to  the  depth  of  three 
inches  in  New  York  and  Massachusetts,  and 
ten  inches  in  Maine.  Juiy  was  accompanied 
with  frost  and  ice.  On  the  oth  ice  was  form- 
ed of  the  thickness  of  window  glass  iu  New 
York,  New  England  and  Pennsylvania.  In 
Augu-t  ice  formed  half  an  inch  f>ick.  A 
cold  Northern  wind  prevailed  nearly  all 
summer.  Corn  was  so  frozen  that  a  great 
deal  of  it  whs  cut  down  and  dried  for  fod- 
der. Very  little  ripened  in  New  England, 
and  scarcely  any  in  the  Middle  States  and 
farmers  were  obliged  to  pay  S4  and  S5  a 
bushel  for  corn  of  lSlo,  for  seed  for  the 
next  spring's  planting." 

The  Cold  Summer  of  1816. 
Editob  Recokd:  You  ask  for  reminis- 
cen>-es  of  the  "cold  summer"'  of  181G  That 
year  was  a  sorry  time  for  farmers  and  all 
others  that  tried  to  raise  crops  of  any  kind, 
as  well  as  for  consumers  who  were  obliged 


to  purchase  provisions  or  any  of  the  neces- 
saries of  life.  Wages  of  the  laboring  classes 
were  not  high  in  proportion  to  the  cost  of 
living.  It  was  a  hard  lime  for  the  poor.  For 
two  months  of  that  summer  *heie  were  tnrco 
black  spots  on  the  sun,  plainly  vi-ible  to  the 
naked  eye;  ihe  weather  mostof  the  time  was 
so  cool  that  woolen  apparel  was  absolutely 
necessary  for  comfort.  There  were  severe 
frosts  several  nights  during  each  summer 
month,  and  the  small  amount  of  corn  that 
got  through  to  the  month  of  September,  and 
was  then  in  the  milk  Stat*,  was  entirely 
frozen  and  killed,  and  the  ears  of  corn  in 
the  liUfks  became  rottou.  The  stench 
was  so  offensive  that  people  would 
avoid  passing  a  co>mneld  when  the  wind  was 
toward  them.  Cattle  would  nut  eat  the 
stalks  until  the  rotten  ears  wrre  taken  off. 
It  was  SKid.  and  probably  truthfully,  that 
not  a  bushel  of  sound  corn  was  raised  in 
Luze-rne  Couiaty  that  season.  Nor  were 
there  any  fruit  or  garden  vegetables  raised 
th  tt  f  ro.^t  could  kill.  Put  during  these  pri- 
vations of  the  people,  they  had  one  comfort, 
there  was  the  greatest  run  of  shad  up  the 
Su.-quehanna  River  that  Spring  that  was 
ever  before  or  since  known.  The  shad  fish- 
ery was  on  the  west  side  of  the  river,  oppo- 
site the  mouth  of  Mill  Creek.  The  shad 
seine  of  the  fishery  was  owned  by  a  company 
of  men  from  both  sides  of  the  river;  my 
father  owned  a  share  and  I,  although  a  boy 
of  only  13  years,  was  boss  of  the  Brail 
Canoe:  there  were  in  the  upper  end  of  the 
fishery,  about  ten  rods  from  the  west  shore, 
two  large  stones  or  rocks,  over  which  the 
sinker  line  had  to  be  raised  by  lifting  the 
Brail  of  the  sinker  line  and  keeping  it  up 
till  the  rocks  were  passed.  This  was  my 
part  of  the  duties  of  the  fishery.  Some  days 
not  a  shad  could  be  caught,  some  other  days 
a  few,  or  perhaps  a  few  hundred  wTould  be 
taken,  but  on  one  day  three  thousand  shad 
were  hauled  iu  at  that  fishery.  I  will  not 
attempt  to  describe  the  fun  and  frolic  of 
throwing  the  shad  out  of  the  water  on  to  the 
beach  when  they  were  hauled  near  the  snore 
in  the  shallow  water  by  the  seine.  It  was 
rare  spurt.  Dilton  Yarinoton. 

Carbondale,  March  15,  1887. 


-  The  Scranton  Truth  has  begun  the 
publication  of  a  series  of  sketches  of  Early 
Days  in  the  Lackawanna  Valley,  written 
especially  for  that  paper  by  the  historian 
and  antiquarian,  Dr.  H.  Hollister,  who  is 
well  and  favorably  known  by  Kecokd  readers. 


The  Carbondale  Leader  says  that  "the 
Wilkes-Barre  Recoup  is  the  historical  paper 
of  this  region  and  that  it  is  doing  good  work 
in  rescuing  from  oblivion  many  of  the  inci- 
dents of  local  history  connected  with  the 
Lackawanna  and   Wyomieg  Valleys." 


1()8 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


WYOMING  VALLKY  POETRY. 


Critical    and    Historical    Survey  ~  Early 

Writers  and  Published  Books  of  Verse. 

PABT  FIB8T. 

To  give  a  critical  and  historical  analysis  of 
the  poetry  of  the  Wyoming  Valley,  necessi- 
tates the  exploring  of  a  hitherto  unwritten 
department  of  local  literature.  Mr.  John  S. 
McGroarty,  in  his  Poets  and  Poetry  of 
Wyoming  Valley,  given  selections  f  om  the 
better  known  Versifiers,  but  no  critical  or 
historical  reminiscences.  For  tnis  brief  sur- 
vcy  I  have  taken  possession  of  many  widely 
scattered  facts  and  have  endeavored  to 
mou  d  them  into  a  history  of  Wyoming 
Valley  pi  etry;  and,  whiie  I  have  admired 
the  songs  of  our  native  writers  and  made 
the  touch  of  the  critical  iiuger  somewhat 
gentle,  I  have  sought  to  point  out  the  powers 
and  limitations  ot  the  singers  and  empha- 
size their  imperfections. 

More  than  a  hundred  years  have  passed 
since  the  first  local  writers  began  to  drink  in- 
spiration from  the  beauties  of  this  historic 
valley  and  to  pour  iorih  their  intoxication 
with  sparkling  emications  of  poetic  fancy. 
It  was  in  1785  that  Uriah  Terry  wrote  his 
"Wyoming  Massacre:"  in  1810  that  Charles 
F.  Wells  wrote  the  "Warriors  of  Wyoming," 
and  in  1812  that  James  Sinton  wrote  the 
"Poor  Man  and  the  Doctor."  Edward  Chap- 
man, Charles  Miner,  and  Josiah  Wright 
helped  to  swell  the  Hood  of  local  verse  during 
the  opening  years  of  the  present  century,  but 
their  rhymes  contain  little  merit  and  can 
scarcely  be  called  poetry.  The  mblished 
verses  of  Amos  Sisty,  Andrew  Beaumont,  A. 
T.  Lee,  Sarah  Miner  and  Charles  Mowery 
evince  a  degree  of  poetic  talent,  though  un- 
equal and  faulty  in  finich. 

The  Literary  Visiter,  established  at 
Wilkes-Barre  in  1813,  served  as  a  medium  of 
communication  for  tne  early  writers  of  this 
section.  It  was  royal  octavo  size,  a  weekly 
journal,  and  published  by  Steuben  Butter. 
The  Visitor  was  primarily  a  literary  periodi- 
cal, and  the  editor,  in  the  salutatory  of  the 
initial  number,  assures  his  readers  that  the 
paper  will  be  devoted  to  every  department 
of  knowledge  ''which  can  be  considered  use- 
ful, interesting,  or  amusing  to  ail  classes  of 
readers — biographical  sketches  of  the  most 
important  personages  of  America  and 
Europe — anecdotes  of  wit  and  humor 
— important  facts  in  the  history 
of  nature— remarkable  events  iu  the 
history  of  nations — the  finest  flights 
of  the  mu-e — the  selected  beauties  of  ancient 
and  modern  eloquence — such  essays  as  will 
instruct  correctly  in  morality  and  duty,  in 
education,  science  and  the  arts;  and  these 
selected  from  the  best  writers,  will  appear  in 
a  drees  calculated  to  form  a  correct  taste  in 


English  composition."  Ho  also  informs  his 
readers  that  "the  great  part  of  the  paper,  in- 
stead of  being  occupied  with  advertisements 
which  are  usetul  only  to  a  few  men  of  busi- 
ness, will  be  tilled  with  such  a  diversity  of 
matter,  that  it  can  hardly  fail  ot  obtaining  a 
welcome  reception  from  every  reader."  'Ihis 
promise  was  well  kept.  It  contained  no  ad- 
vertisements during  the  two  years  that  it  ex- 
isted, and  was  the  principal  market  for  the 
wares  of  the  early  Wyoming  Valley   writers. 

The  Frontier  Maid,  or  a  Tale  of  Wyoming, 
was  the  firr*t  poetical  volume  published  here. 
It  was  a  metrical  romance  ot  two  hundred 
pages  written  by  Joseph  McCoy  and  pub- 
lished at  Wilkes-Barre  iu  1819  by  Samuel 
Maffet  &  Steuben  Butler,  lc  is  a  narra- 
tive of  the  massacre  ot  Wyoming,  has  ten  or 
a  dozen  prominent  characters,  is  divided  in- 
to live  cantos,  and  has  an  appendix  of  nine- 
teen pages  of  notes  explaining  V>e  geogra- 
phical and  historical  allusions  of  the  poem. 
Mature  years  paii .fully  revealed  to  tne  au- 
thor the  defects  of  the  poem 
and  ho  subsequently  collected  and 
burned  all  the  copies  he  could  get. 
Athough  characterized  tor  its  inequalities 
and  absurdities  The  Frontier  Maid  is  not 
wholly  without  merit.  Here  and  there  a  line 
can  be  found  having  the  genuine  poetic  ring. 
Mr.  McCoy  was,  ot  course,  too  deficient  in 
constructive  art  to  elaborate  a  well  sustained 
narrative;  but  had  he  been  less  ambitious 
and  given  more  finish  to  what  he  undertook, 
ho  might  have  written  clever  verses. 

TJie  Harp  of  the  B-ech  Woods,  by  Juliana 
Frances  I  urner,  was  published  at  Montrose 
in  1822  by  Adam  Waldie.  The  selections 
are  chiefly  lyrical,  of  which  "My  Home  in 
the  Beech  Woods"  is  perhaps  the  best. 
"Evening,"  a  dainty  pastoral,  is  a  poein  of 
remarkable  purity  and  simplicity:  and  "The 
Humming  Bird"  and  "Happiness  at  Home" 
are  delicate  and  picturesque  descriptive 
lyrics.  The  volume  contains  a  dozen  son- 
nets which  detract  from  the  merit  ot  the 
book,  since  the  author  evidently  knew  little 
or  nothing  of  the  mechanical  construction 
of  the  sonnet.  The  sonnet  "To  a  Mother" 
i*  rich  in  sentiment;  and  in  the  one  on  "My 
Rhymes"  she  displays  a  genuine  sense  of 
refined  humor. 

The  Wyoming  Monument,  "A  Poem  by 
the  Lu-Nat-ic  Bard  of  Wyoming,'1  was  pub- 
lished at  Wilkes- Barre  in  1841  by  Anthony 
P.  Brower,  the  author,  and  dedicared  to  the 
Ladies'  Monumental  Association  of  Wilkes- 
Barre.  It  is  an  attempt  at  lyric  poetry,  but 
has  no  merit,  whatever,  and  teems  with  the 
eccentricities  which  characterized  its  Kuthor. 
About  the  only  redeeming  feature  of  the 
book  is  the  twelve  page  appendix  of  explan- 
atory notes.  A  receipt  for  the  price  ot  the 
book,  in  the  bard's  own  handwriting,  was 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


109 


attached  to  the  first  page  of  each  copy  sold. 
Richard  Drinker  and  Edward  E.  Lo  Clere 
were  both  writers  of  meritorious  verse.  Mr. 
Drinker's  "Address  ton  Laud  Tortoise,"  pub- 
lished in  Chandler's  Magazine  of  Philadel- 
phia, in  1819,  shows  him  to  have  been  pos- 
sessed of  a  rich  sense  of  humor  combined 
with  all  the  fervor  of  a  true  poet.  "Christ- 
mas," after  the  style  of  Burns,  is  humorous, 
witty  and  genial.  His  poems  aro  wanting 
in  deep  pathos  and  originality  of  thought, 
bat  are  distinguished  for  their  vigor- 
ous common  sense  and  unique  execu- 
tion. Edward  E.  LeClerc,  another 
writer  of  clever  verse,  possessed  the 
divine  gift  of  so  g  to  a  remarkable  degree. 
His  best  poem,  "The  Massacre  of  Wyoming,"' 
was  read  at  the  commencement  exercises  of 
Dickinson  College  in  July,  1830,  and  subse- 
quently published  in  Godey's  Lady  Book. 
This,  and  ihe  poem  on  the  death  of  his  friend, 
Lieut.  James  Monroe  Bowman,  represents 
him  at  his  best,  although  in  all  his  writings 
he  displays  an  exquisite  sense  of  rhythm  and 
a  remarkable  instiuct  in  the  choice  of  words. 
—  Will  S.  Monroe  in  Scran  ton  Saturday 
Argus.  

History  and  Science  in  Scran  ton. 

The  Lackawanna  Institute  of  History  and 
Science  has  completed  the  first  year  of  its 
existence.  Irs  library  comprises  3tio  bound 
volumes,  175  pamphlets  and  3  maps  and 
manuscripts.  The  museum  has  371  cata- 
logued specimens.  In  his  annual  report 
Curator  C.  L.  Wheeler  has  ihe  following: 

I  have  prepared  a  catalogue  of  the  coal 
flora  fossils  of  this  valley  and  riud  that  forty- 
eight  genera  and  three  hundred  and  forty- 
eight  species  have  been  found  and  de- 
scribed. After  consultation  with  Mr.  R.  D. 
Lacoe,  and  by  his  advice  I  have  divided  the 
vall-y  into  six  districts,  to  be  called  respec- 
tively the  Carbond*le,  Oijphant,  Scranton, 
Pittston,  Wilkes  Barre  and  Plymouth  dis- 
tricts. In  the  two  or  three  lower  veins 
worked  at  Carbondale  Mr.  C  arkson 
found  twenty-six  species.  Oly  phant, 
whieh  shows  the  work  of  two  or 
three  good  collections,  has  sfTorded  a 
hundred  and  one  species.  A  result  of  very 
little  collecting  gives  Plj mouth  twenty- 
eicht.  Wilkes  Barre  ha*  yielded  one  hun- 
dred and  seven.  Pittston,  through  the 
earnest  work  of  so  able  a  palaeo-botanist  as 
Mr.  R.  D.  L-icop.  comes  to  the  front  with 
two  hundred  and  forty  five  species.  Scran- 
ton, with  her  five  or  six  veins  of  coal  cover- 
ing everything  from  the  inter  conglomerate 
up  throuyh  the  coal  measure  with  tier  broad 
valley  and  the  great  quantities'  of  slate  ex- 
posed, has  afforded  only  thirty-nine  species 
to  the  sci- nnfic  world.  Surely,  here  is  a 
virgin  field  for  our  infant  Institute  to  cul- 
tivate. 


West  Kranch  Local  History. 

Wc  are  pleased  to  announce  a  new 
publication  devoted  to  the  history  of  the 
We- 1  Branch  Valley  of  the  Susquehanna, 
thy  Juniata  region,  and  the  .Northwestern 
counties  of  our  State.  It  will  be  published 
by  Mr.  John  E.  Meginness,  of  Williamsport, 
who  for  many  j  ears  has  edited  the  leading 
daily  paper  of  that  city,  and  who  some  30 
years  ago  wrote  a  charming  history  of  the 
West  Branch  region,  under  the  title  of 
"Otzinachson."  We  append  the  prospectus 
which  Mr.  Meginness  is  tending  out,  know- 
ing that  it  will  interest  many  readers  on  the 
North  Branch,  both  regions  havng  much  in 
common,  pertaining  to  their  early   history. 

Ihe  H istorica  I  Journal :  A  monthly  maga- 
zine for  preserving  fragments  of  local  his- 
tory in  Northwestern  Pennsylvania. — 1  have 
often  been  solicited  to  start  a  monthly  His- 
torical Maga/.me,  for  the  purpose  ot  collect- 
ing and  preserving  scraps  ot  Local  History 
which  will  soon  be  lost  torever.  Yielding  to 
these  solicitations,  I  now  propose  to  start 
such  a  publication,  and  will  issue  the  lirst 
number  about  the  first  of  May.  It  will  con- 
tain thirty  two  octavo  pages,  in  magazine 
form,  and  be  neatly  printed  on  fine  paper. 

The  opening  feature  of  each  number  will 
be  a  Biographical  Sketch  of  some  prominent 
deceased  person — with  portrait — or  some 
old  person  living.  Special  attention  will  be 
given  to  the  collection  of  Historical  Inci- 
dents of  Early  Times,  Reminiscences  of 
Pioneers,  Indian  Antiquities,  Necrology, 
Longevity',  Statistics,  Manufactures,  and 
curious  things. 

Since  publishing  the  History  of  the  West 
Branch  Valley,  mure  than  thirty  years  ago, 
and  especially  during  my  editorial  service 
on  the  Gazette  and  Bulletin  for  eighteen 
years,  I  have  gathered  a  large  mount  of 
material  that  would  be  valuable,  if  put  in  a 
magazine  for  prerervation.  This  publica- 
tion will  not  interfere  with  the  proposed  re- 
vised History  of  the  West  Branch  Valley,  as 
the  bulk  of  the  matter  it  will  contain  can- 
not be  used  in  that  book,  only  in  the  briefest 
form,  and  in  t^e  majority  of  ca^es  not  at  all. 

An  opportunity  is  now  afforded  those  who 
are  interested  m  the  preservation  of  bits  of 
Local  History  to  aid  in  the  enterprise.  The 
Historical  Journal  will  be  printed  with  a 
view  to  binding,  and  twelve  numbers  will 
make  a  hand.-ome  volume  of  384  pages. 
The  subscription  price  will  be  $2  per  annum, 
of  twelve  numbers,  payable  in  advance. 

A  biographical  sketch  of  Rev.  John 
Brysou,  with  portrait,  who  was  pastor  of 
Warrior  Run  Presbyterian  Church,  North- 
umberland County,  for  oyer  half  a  century, 
will  be  the  opening  article  in  the  first 
number. 


110 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


TWO  LrXri/r.I,lSI4l-:i>  JL.UITUUS. 


ITow  Fort  Allen,  Now  AUeiltowo,  was 
Provisioned  131  Years  Ago — How  JKas- 
ton  Looked  to  the  JMoneers  of  1  T."»'^. 

The  following  unpublished  letter,  bearing 
npoa  the  early  history  of  Northeastern  Penn- 
sylvania, are  kindly  sent  the  uecobd  by 
Charles  F.  Hill,  of  Hazlnton,  whose  contri- 
bution? are  always  welcome: 

Editor  Record:  1  Herewith  communicate 
a  letter,  whicn  1  oelieve  has  never  appeared 
in  print.  It  is  from  Jacob  Levan,  Esq.,  of 
Maxatawney,  Berks  County,  Pa.,  to  Major 
"William.  Parsons  at  Easton,  Pa. 
Jacob  Levan,  Esq.,  was  a  justice 
of  the  peace,  a  judge  and  father 
of  Jacob  ana  Col,  Sebastian  Levan,  of  the 
Revolutionary  army,  and  also  a  member  of 
the  Supreme  Executive  Council.  Major  Par- 
sons was  surveyor  general  of  the  proviuce, 
and  resigned  on  account  of  ill  health  in  June, 
1743,  was  appointed  a  justice  of  the  peace, 
removed  to  Easton  ir  1752,  aud  as  major  had 
the  military  charge  of  that  section.  In  con- 
nection with  the  letter  of  Jacob  Levan,  Esq., 
we  will  also  give  a  lecter  from  Major  Parsons 
to  Richard  Peters,  Esq.,  giving  a  description 
of  Easton  as  it  appeared  Dec.  6,  1752: 

Maxatawney,  November  8,  1756. 
My  Kind  Service  and  Gbeeting 

To  you  Sir  and  Major  William  Parsons: 
1  am  constrained  to  write  yon  a  few  lines 
in  as  much  as  I  have  provisioned  Fort  Allen 
since  spring  and  have  had  much  labor  and 
trouble  by  day  and  night;  aud  have  furn- 
ished everything,  in  quantities,  that  they 
needed,  so  that  Captain  Reinolds  was  well 
satisfied  with  me.  Aud  now  since  1  have 
gone  to  heavy  costs,  and  have  bought  wheat 
and  fat  cattle  to  provision  the  Fort  again, 
Adam  Deschler  and  Paul  Balliet  have  as- 
sumed to  provision  the  Fort,  and  have  told 
me  I  should  furnish  no  more  provision:  that 
they  had  made  a  written  agreement  with  the 
Commissary,  and  oifered  to  furnish  pro- 
vision for  6  pence  less  per  man  per  week 
than  formerly,  which  1  am  also  willing  to  do 
as  well  as  another.  Sir  \.  iliiarn  Parsons  as 
Major  has  already  once,  on  my  account, 
given  himself  the  trouble  to  write  to  the 
Commissary  that  I  should  provision  the 
Fort,  hence  I  ask  him  yet  once  more,  since 
I  cannot  go  there  myself,  as  for  several 
weeks  I  have  been  contined  to  my  bed,  else 
I  would  appear  in  person  before  him,  aud — 
and  speak  lace  to  face  to  him. 

I  remain  his  most  obedient  friend  and 
wellwisher.  Jacob  Levan. 

Easton,  December  Sth,  1752. 
Rich.  Peters.  Esq  ,    Sir:  Upon    removing 
my  family  to  this  Place   my    Thoughts  have 
been  more    engaged  in  considering  the  cir- 
cumstances of  this  Infant  Town   tnan   ever, 


as  well  with  regard  to  its  neighborhood,  as 
the  Probability  there  is  of  its  being  fur- 
nished with  Provisions  from  the  Inhabitants 
near  about  it.  and  if  there  already  i-=,  or 
probably  may  in  time  be,  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  settlers  to  carry  on  any  considerable 
Trade  with  the  Town.  For  without  the->f  it 
is  not  likel>  that  it  will  be  improved  to  any 
great  height,  as  well  with  Regard  to  the 
Town  itself,  tluit  is  to  say  us  Situation,  as  to 
Health,  Trade  and  Pleasantness.  Easrou  is 
situate  in  the  Fork  of  the  River  Delaware, 
exactly  in  that  Part  of  thy  Fork  where  the 
tvvo  mam  Branches  meet,  and  is  bounded  on 
the  South  by  the  West  Branch,  and  on  the 
East  with  the  main  Branch  of  the  River 
which  runs  in  this  Place,  nearly  North 
and  South,  about  120  Perches  to  the  very 
pleasant  brook  of  water,  called  Tattamy'p 
Creek,  which  bounds  the  town  to  the  north. 
On  the  west  it  is  bounded  by  a  pretty  high 
hill  that  ruus  nearlj  parallel  to  and  at  the 
distance  of  130  perches  from  the  main 
branch.  The  site  of  the  town  is  pleasant 
and  very  agreeable;  the  banks  of  all  the 
waters  bounding  it  are  high  and  clean,  and 
if  it  was  as  large  again  as  it  is.  being  now 
about  100  acres,  it  might  be  said  to  be  a 
very  beautiful  place  for  a  town.  It  is  true 
that  it  is  surrounded  on  every  side  by  very 
high  hills,  which  make  it  appear  under  some 
disadvantages  at  a  distance,  and  might  give 
some  occasion  for  suspicion  of  its  not  being 
very  healthy.  But  during  all  the  last  sum- 
mer, which  was  very  dry,  and  the  fall,  which 
has  been,  remarkably  wet,  I  don't  know 
that  any  one  has  been  visited  with  the 
fever  or  any  other  sickness,  notwithstanding 
most  of  the  people  have  been  much  exposed 
to  the  night  air  and  wet  weather.  From 
whence  I  make  no  difficulty  to  conclude  the 
place  is  and  will  continue  very 
healthy.  As  to  the  external  ad- 
vantages or  disadvantages  of  the  town,  I  am 
not  yet  sufficiently  acquainted  with 
the  country  to  enumerate  them  all.  The 
most  conspicuous  are  the  adjacent  rivers. 
The  main  branch  in  some  seasons  of  the 
year  is  navigable  for  small  craft,  from  near 
100  miles  above  the  town  to  Philadelphia, 
aud  if  it  were  cleared  in  some 
places  of  the  rocks  which  impede 
the  navigation  in  the  summer  sea-on, 
above  as  well  as  below  the  town,  i  and  I  haAe 
been  told  that  it  is  practicable  iu  some  good 
measure  to  clear  them,)  the  advantage  that 
would  accrue  from  the  trade  to  aud  from 
Philadelphia,  must  be  very  considerable,  as 
water  carriage  is  much  cheaper,  and,  in  re- 
spect to  several  kinds  of  merchandise  good*, 
much  safer  than  land  carnage.  Aud  in  re- 
gard to  the  trade  up  the  river,  that  would 
likewise  be  very  advantageous  to  the  town, 
as  w.-ll  as  to  the  country  m  general,  even  in 
the  single  article  of  lumber,  as  there  is  great 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Ill 


plenty  of  almost  all  kinds  of  timber  over  the 
mountains,  where  thoro  is  also  many  good 
conveniences  for  erecting  saw  mills, 
and  several  are  built  there  already.  From 
whence  the  town  might  readily 
bo  supplied  with  boards,  scantling 
«ko.  The  West  Branch  will  also  be  of  advan- 
tage to  th©  town,  as  it  is  navigable  several 
milns  for  small  craft.  And  Tattam's  Creek 
being  a  good  etream  of  water  to  erect  mills 
upon,  will  also  contribute  towards  the  ad- 
vancement of  the  place.  The  Jersey  side 
being  at  present  more  settled  near  the  river, 
opposite  to  the  forks,  than  the  Pennsylvania 
side,  and  indeed  the  laud  on  that  side  is 
better  watered  and  more  convenient  for 
settlements,  than  it  is  on  this  side  for  seve- 
ral miles  about  Easton.  We  have  been  sup- 
plied as  much  or  more  from  that  side,  as 
from  our  own.  But  how  Mr.  John  Cox's 
project  of  laying  out  a  town  upon  his  hind 
adjoining  Mr.  Martin's  land,  is  hard  to  say, 
and  time  only  can  obviate.  But  notwith- 
standing the  advantages  already  mentioned, 
and  perhaps  many  have  escaped  my  notice, 
it  must  be  contest  that  the  town  labours  un- 
der several  considerable  disadvantages.  The 
first  that  offers,  I  mention  with  submission, 
is  the  great  tract  of  land  called  the  dry 
land,  to  the  westward  of  the  town.  This 
with  another  tract  adjoining  the  town 
to  the  Northward,  being  all  together 
about  20,000  acres,  is  almost  the  only 
part  of  the  country  that,  by  its  nearness  to 
the  town,  were  it  settled  and  improved, 
could  conveniently  and  readily  afford  a 
constant  snpply  of  provisions  of  all  kinds, 
especially  the  smaller  kinds  which  would 
not  be  so  convenient  for  persons  who  live 
more  remote  to  furnish.  To  the  westward 
and  northward  of  the  dry  land  are  the  Mo- 
ravian settlements,  about  eleven  miles  from 
the  town.  These  settlements  are  not  only 
of  no  advantage,  but  rather  a  great  disad- 
vantage to  the  town.  For  being  an  entire 
and  seDarate  interest  by  themselves,  corres- 
ponding with  only  one  another  where  they 
can  possibly  avoid  it,  except  where  the  ad- 
vantage is  evidently  in  their  favour,  it  can't 
be  expected  that  the  town  should  nap  any 
benefit  from  them.  Besides,  as  they  have 
not  hitherto  raised,  and  as  their  number  is 
continually  increasing  by  the  yearly  addi- 
tion of  foreigners,  it.  is  not  likely  that  they 
will,  in  time  to  come,  raise  sufficient  pro- 
vision for  themselves,  but  are  obliged 
to  purchase  great  quantities  from  i  h-ir 
neighbours,  who  would  otherwise  brine  it  to 
the  town,  but  this  is  not  to  be  expected 
while  they  can  dispose  of  what  they  have  to 
sell  so  much  nearer  home.  And  this  leads 
me  to  wish,  for  the  good  of  Easton,  if  the 
honorable  the  proprietaries  should  incline 
to  have  the  dry  lands  improved,  that  it  may 
not  be  disposed  of  to  the  Moravians.  Not  be- 


cause they  are  Moravians,  but  because  their 
interest  interferes  ro  much  with  the  interest 
of  the  town.  If  the  dry  lands  should  be 
Settled  chiefly  by  them,  the  master  bretheru 
would  have,  the  whole  direction  and  disposal 
of  all  that  should  be  raised  there.  Which 
would  be  more  discouraging  and  wor-e  to 
the  town,  than  if  that  land  were  not  inhabit- 
ed at  all.  For  so  long  as  it  remains  uncul- 
tivated, it  will  serve  lor  range  to  the  town 
cattle.  Between  the  town  and  the  mountains, 
which  is  about  10  miles,  is  mostly  poor 
land,  and  but  thin  settled.  The  other  side 
of  the  mountain  consists  chiefly  of  new  set- 
tlements, except  the  Minisinks  and 
some  other  plantations  near  the  river. 
But  very  probably  in  the  time 
they  will  contribute  to  the  advance- 
ment and  Trade  of  the  Town.  On  the  South 
Side  of  the  West  Branch,  the  Country  is  the 
most  and  bejt  settled,  except  near  the  Town, 
where  the  Land  is  very  hiiiy  and  stony. 
Upon  the  whole,  the  Town  has  hitherto  been 
very  well  supplied  with  Meal.  Pork,  Mutton. 
Butter.  Turnips,  &c.  But  how  it  will  be  sup- 
plied with  Hay  and  Pasturage,  I  can't  yet 
yet  clearly  foresee.  1  mean  if  the  Town  in- 
creases, as  I  am  in  great  hopes  it  will.  For 
this  winter.  I  think  we  are  pretty  well  pro- 
vided. However,  this  leads  me  tc  mention 
Out  ijots,  which  will  be  more  particularly 
wanted  here  than  at  any  of  the  other  new 
County  Towns,  as  they  are  all  of  them  much 
better  accommodated  with  Meadow  Ground, 
near  about  them,  than  this  Town  is.  If  I 
might  presume  to  speak  my  Opinion,  and  I 
know  you  expect  I  should,  if  J  speak  at  all. 
I  could  wish  that  a  sufficient  Quantity  of  the 
dry  Lands  might  be  appropriated  for  Out 
Lots,  and  that  all  the  Rest  were  to  be  settled 
and  improved,  and  that,  by  Dutch  People: 
altho'  they  were  of  the  poorest  sort  of  them. 
I  don't  mention  Dutch  People  from  any 
particular  regnrd  that  1  have  for  them  more 
than  any  other  People.  But  because  they 
are  generally  more  laborious  and  conform- 
able to  their  circumstances,  than  some 
others  amongst  us  are.  I  tired  not  say  who 
they  arp,  but  it  is  an  old  observation,  that 
noor  Gentle  Folks  don't  always  prove  the 
fittest  to  begin  new  Places,  where  Labour  is 
chiefly  wanted. 

I  can't  hear  of  any  considerable  Body  of 
Clay  for  making  Bricks  or  Potters  Work, 
upon  any  of  the  Proprietary's  land  near  the 
Town,  but  upon  the  500  Acre  Tract  wbi^h 
was  surveyed  for  Mr.  Thomas  Craig,  near 
the  Town.  I  am  told  there  is  very  good  Clav, 
both  for  a  Potter  and  Brickmaker.  The  500 
acres  belones  now  to  one  Correy,  in  Che-ter 
County,  I  wrote  to  jou  about  it  very  largely 
in  a  former  Letter.  There  is  now  eleven 
Families  in  Easton,  who  all  propose  to  stay 
there  this  Winter.  And  when  our  Prison  is 
finished,  which  there  is  Hopes  it  soon  will  be, 


119 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


ns  it  is  now  covered  in.  there  i3  great  Prob- 
ability that  tlv^  number  will  encr-a=o  before 
the  Spring.  I  am,  Sir,  Your  obedient,  hnm- 
bJo  Servant,  Wm    Pabs<  ns. 

Iddowerl— '*Oopj  Wm.  Parson's  letter  toR. 
P.  about  Eastou  of  the  8  peer,  1852.  Orig- 
inal sent  lo  Propr.  Cann  Browne,  in  Lro,  of 
mine,  the  15th  Deer,  1752." 


An  Old-Time  Masonic  Record. 

[Montrose  Republican.] 

In  a  record  which  has  been  preserved  of 
the  old  Rising  Sun  Lodge,  No.  149,  the  first 
Masonic  Lodge  ever  known  in  Montrose, 
instituted  about  1810,  is  to  be  found  the 
proceeding  of  a  regular  stated  meeting,  held 
in  the  old  court  house,  May  80,  1825,  at 
which  the  following  were  the  officers  and 
brethren  present.  Of  all  these  not  one  is 
now  living,  excepting  the  one  who  wa->  made 
a  member  at  that  meeting,  it  being  some 
three  weeks  after  he  became  of  age;  and  he 
happens  to  be  the  last  one  who  was  initiated 
in  that  lodge  previous  to  its  being  disband- 
ed; though  his  name  may  be  found  as  Junior 
Warden  among  the  charter  members  of 
Warren  Lodge,  No.  240,  instituted  in  1849, 
and  now  existing  here. 

Among  'hese  departed  brethren  may  be 
seen  the  names  of  the  old  centenarian  Lu- 
ther Catlin,  who  died  some  two  years  ago, 
at  the  age  of  a  little  over  a  hundred  years, 
and  of  Dr.  Horace  Smith,  the  last  survivor 
of  them,  who  left  us  last  June,  aged  87. 

Officers  of  the  "Rising  Sun  Lodge,"  No. 
149" — Perez  Perkins,  \V.  master;  Dr.  Samuel 
A.  Bissell,  S.  warden:  Wm.  C.  Turrell,  J. 
warden;  Horace  Smith,  treasurer:  Hiram 
Finch,  secretary;  Harry  Clark,  S.  D . ;  Hiram 
Plum,  J.  D.:  Jabez  A.  Burchard.  tyier. 

Members  present — Jernes  Lathrop,  Ira 
Gage, David  ().  Turrell,  David  Bissel,  Eras- 
tus  Catlin,  Luther  Catlin,  Asa  Olmstead, 
Daniel  Curtis,  Dr.  Mason  Denison,  George 
Claggett,  Henry  Parke. 

Accepted  and  initiated— James  W.  Chap- 
man. 

Visitors—Charles  R.  Marsh.  Jesse  Bagley, 
Peter  Osborn,  Isaiah  Main,  James  Stephens, 
Benoni  Austin,  John  Passmore. 

Many  of  the  readers  of  the  Republican  will 
recognize  in  the  now  sole  survivor  of  the 
above,  the  old  surveyor,  the  editor  of  forty 
or  fifty  years  ago,  more  recently  known  as 
County  Jud^e;  and  they  may  perhaps  be 
interested  to  know  that  he  is  yet  quite  vigor- 
ous and  active,  though  now  in  his  8Cd  year, 
walks  plum,  performs  on  the  level  and  square 
with  his  compass,  and  can  follow  ancient 
land-marks,  or  solve  a  mathematical  prob- 
lem as  well  as  ever:  and  withal  is  vivacious 
enough  to  appreciate  a  good  joke  or  tell  a 
good  story,  if  required. 


Wyoming  I'Joneerw  \i\   Binghamton. 

In  a  rare  volume,  "Annals  of  Bingham- 
ton,"  published  at  that  place  in  1840,  by  J. 
B.  Wilkinson,  (a  copy  of  which  is  in  the 
possession  of  W.  A.  Wilcox,  E-q.,  Wyoming) 
are  numerous  references  to  Wyoming  and 
its  people.    Condensed,  they  are  as  follows: 

First  white  settlor,  Capt.  Joseph  Leonard, 
moved  from  Wyoming  1787.      Left  on   ac 
count  of  land   disputes.      Was   a  farmer  at 
Wjomincr,  at  time  of  massacre. 

Reference  to  one  Cole,  early  settler  near 
Binghamton.  Very  inhuman — said  to  ruive 
had  part  in  leading  the  Indians  against 
Wyoming  aud  Mini-ink. 

Tom  Hill,  a  pauper,  also  encaged  in  mas- 
sacre.    Said  to  have  married  Qaeen  Esther. 

Flour  brought  up  iu  canoes  from  Wyoming. 

In  1780  Jonathan  Fitch,  of  Wyoming, 
merchant  and  r-heriff  there,  settled  near 
Binghamton.  Was  first  representative  from 
Tio^a  in  Legislature. 

Cant.  Brink  came  from  Wyoming.  Lost 
all  by  the  great  ice  freshet.  Was  one  of 
Plunkett's  men. 

Moses  Chambers  settled  1700.  Came 
from  Wyoming,  was  a  sufferer  bj  ice  freshet. 
His  father  moved  from  Wyoming  to  Bing- 
hamton with  his  three  sons. 

Narrative  of  Mrs.  Elisha  Matthewson,  a 
prisoner  at  Wyoming,  aud  her  escape. 

Settlers  between  Wellsbnrgh  and  Elmira: 
Libbeus  Tnbbs,  Rufus  Baldwin,  Wm. 
Jenkins,  Libbeus  Hammond,  of  Wyoming. 
Hammond's  narrative. 

Below  Wellsbnrgh,  Eldor  John  Goff,  the 
first  minister  of  that  region — a  Baptist. 
Came  from  Wyoming  aud  settled  on  Che- 
mung Flats  in  1780. 

First  settler  at  Elmira,  Col.  John  Handy. 
Was  from  Wyoming. 

Judge  Gore  and  Gen.  Spalding  rented  the 
tauds  lying  between  the  Pennsylvania  line 
on  the  south,  the  pre-emption  line  vm  the 
west,  the  two  lakes  on  the  north,  and  the 
Chemung  narrows  on  the  east,  for  9.9  years. 

Philip  Wells  came  from  Wyoming.  Also 
Henry  Richards. 


Probably  Our  Oldest  Subscriber. 

Lock  Haven,  Pa.,  March  18,  1S87.— 
Editor  Record  or  the  Times:  Please 
find  enclosed  one  dollar,  payment  for  the 
Weekly  Record  for  a  no  t  he  r  year's  sub- 
scription, for  I  can't  do  without  it.  This 
being  the  fiftieth  year  of  my  subscription. 
I  hope  to  make  it  a  half  century. 

D.  B.  Poland. 

TMr.  Poland  is  a  manufacturer  and  whole- 
sale dealer  in  foreign  fruits,  nuts,  etc.  If 
there  is  any  one  on  our  li-t  who  took  the 
Hecokd  as  loug  ago  as  1837  we  shall  be 
glad  to  mentiou  the  fact  in  these  columns. 
Ed.] 


THE  HISlOlilCAL  RECORD. 


113 


MIS    YAKIXGTQN'S  LIST, 
gome  of  \h(.    Descendants   of   the   Wllkes- 
IJarre  Uusiness  Men  of  1818— Some  In- 
teresticift  Facts. 

[In  the  last  issue  of  the  Historical  Record 
appeared  an  article  by  Dilton  Yarington,  of 
Carbondale,  giving  a  list  of  about  250  citi- 
zens of  Wilkcs-Barre  in  1818,  together  with 
their  occupations.  The  list, which  was  prepar- 
ed in  18t>8  from  memory, was  reprinted  from 
tlie\Vi;t;KLY  Recokd  of  that  year.  The  append- 
ed communication  has  re* erence  to  the  Jiv- 
ing descendants  of  the  people  induced  by 
Mr.  Yarington  in  his  list. — Ed.] 

Editok  Record:  I  have  read  with  consid- 
erable interest  your  list  of  names  of  the 
business  men  of  Wilkes- Barre  in  1818,  as 
given  by  Esauiro  Yarington,  and  as  a  sort 
of  continuation  of  the  same  subject,  here- 
with send  you  the  names  of  a  few  of  the  de- 
scendants, Call  living  unless  otherwise  speci- 
fied) together  with  some"  facts  in  regard  to 
their  subsequent  history  as  I  remember  them: 

Philip  Abbott  was  the  father  of  Philip  Ab- 
bott, now  of  St.  Paul,  Minn. 

H.  C.  Anhiser,  father  of  Joseph  Anhiser 
and  Mrs.  E.  Koerner. 

Ziba  Bennett,  father  of  George  S.  Bennett 
and  Mrs.  J.  C.  Phelps. 

John  L.  Butler,  father  of  Mrs.  Judge  Wood- 
ward and  Frank  Butler. 

Steuben  Butler,  father  of  C.  E.  Butler,  Mrs. 
Alex.  Shiras  and  the  late  Wm.  H.  Butler. 

Pierce  Butler,  father  of  Pierce  Butler,  of 
Carbondale,  and  Mrs.  Mary  Reynolds,  of 
Kingston. 

Zebulon  Butler,  father  of  sons  and  daugh- 
ters, none  living  here. 

Jonathan  Bulkeley, father  of  C.  L.  Bulkeley 
and  Mrs.  A.  R.  Brundage. 

Anthony  Brower,  father  of  Mrs.  Alderman 
W.  S.  Parsons. 

Isaac  Bowman,  father  of  Col.  Sam  and 
Miss  Mary  Bowman. 

Andrew  Beaumont,  father  of  Coi.  E.  B. 
Beaumont,  U.  S.  A.,  and  Mrs.  Julia  Gion- 
inger,  of  Lebanon. 

Job  Barton,  father  of  C.  P.  Barton,  Leh- 
man. 

Qristus  Collins,  father  of  Rev.  Charles 
Jewett  Collins. 

George  Chahoon,  father  of  Miss  Ann  Cha- 
hoon  and  Mrs.  Josiah  Lewis. 

Anning  ().  Chahoon,  father  of  Joseph  Slo- 
cum  Chahoon. 

Daniel  Collings,  father  of  Mrs.  Julia 
Dougherty.  Mrs.  J.  N.  Davidson  and  Miss 
Eliza  Colhugs. 

Henry  Colt,  father  of  Henry  Colt,  Allen- 
town. 

Isaac  A.  Chapman,  father  of  C.  I.  A.  Chap- 
man, Pittston. 

Jacob  Cist,  father  of  Mrs.  H.  Wright  and 
Mrs.  A.  T.  McClintock. 


Erancis  Dana,  father  of  Mrs.  J.  R.  Cool- 
baugh  and  Mrs.  Wm.  T.  Rhoads. 

Bateman    Downing,    father    of     Reuben 
Downing. 
J.  5.  Dennis,  lather  of  Capt.  J.  P.  Dennis. 
John  Davis,  father  of  John  and    tin-    late 
Mary  Ann  Davis. 

James  Ely,  father  of  Thomas  Ely,  Kings- 
ton. 

George  Haines,  father  of  Mrs.  V.  L.  Max- 
well. 

James  Hancock,  father  of  Maj.  E.  A.,  of 
Philadelphia,  and  D.  P.  Hancock,  of  Peoria, 
Ills. 

George  Hotchkiss,  father  of  Mrs.  T.  W. 
Robinson. 

Dr.  L.  W.  Jones,  father  of  Mrs.  Thomas 
Wilson. 

J.  P.  Johnson,  father  of  Wiiliam  P.  John- 
son, of  Dallas,  and  Wesley  Johnson,  of  this 
city. 

John  Jameson,  father  of  Mrs.  E.  B.  Col- 
lings  and  Mrs.  John  Chahoon. 

Amasa  Jones,  father  of  Joel  and  Joseph 
Jones,  of  Philadelphia. 

Lewis  Ketcham,  father  of  the  late  W.  W. 
Ketcham. 

Gilbert  Laird,  father  of  J.  D.  Laird,  Glover 
Laird  and  Mrs.  Joseph  Easterline. 

Josiah  Lewis,  father  of  Josiah  Lewis. 

H.  F.  Lamb,  father  of  Miss   Mary   Lamb. 

Peter  P.  Loop,  father  of  Edward  Sterling 
and  John  Millard  Loop. 

Charles  M.ner,  father  of  Wm.  P.  Miner 
and  Mrs.  Jesse  Thomas. 

Samuel  MarTet,  father  of  Wm.   R.    Maffet. 

Simon  Monega,  father  of  C.  B.  Monega 
and  Mrs.  P.  R.  Johnson. 

Benjamin  Perry,  father  of  Misses  JL-erry, 
Northampton  Street. 

Archippus  Parrish,  father  of  Chas.  and  G. 
H.  Parrish  and  Mrs.  F.  W.  Hunt. 

Joseph  Slocum,  father  of  Mrs.  Abi  Butler. 

Geo.  Sively,  father  of  Mrs.  Judge  Pfouts. 

Abram  Thomas,  father  of  Mrs.  Washing- 
ton Lee. 

E.  Taylor,  father  of  John,  Thomas  and 
Edmund  Taylor  and    Mrs.  E.  H.   Chase. 

Phineas  Waller,  father  of  Rev.  David  J. 
Waller,  Bloomsburg. 

Luther  Yarinston,  father  of  Thomas  O. 
Yarington,  Reading. 

Pet°r  Yarington,  father  of  Dilton  Yaring- 
ton, Carbondale. 

John  P.  Arndt  removed  with  his  family  to 
Green  Bay,  Wisconsi  ,  at  an  early  day  and 
left  no  descendants  here,  but  he  and  his  sous 
were  men  of  mark  in  the  pioneer  days  of  the 
Territory.  One  son  was  drowned  in  the 
Susquehanna  before  he  left  H  ilkes-Barre 
and  another  was  shot  dead  by  a  fellow  mem- 
ber on  the  floor  of  the  Territorial  Legislature 
of  Wisconsin.  Amasa  Jones,  father  of  Joel 
and  Joseph  Jones,  had  lost  a  leg,  and  as 
they  had  no  cork  legs  in  those  days  lie  walk- 


Ill 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORH 


ed  about  with  a  wooden  one,  nnd  always  ap- 
peared on  the  street  10  a  (lowing  calico 
wrapper.  The  boys  called  him  "Peg  Leg 
Jones;"  his  business  was  that  of  making 
brooms  and  distilling  pyroligneous  acid, 
which  was  calif]  "essence  ot  smoke,"  in 
common  parlance.  It  was  used  for  flavor- 
ing hams,  dried  beef,  etc.,  by  sprinkling  a 
few  drops  on  the  slices  instead  'of  smoking 
the  meat  in  the  usual  way.  The  son  Joel 
became  a  distinguished  judge  of  the  Dis- 
trict Court  of  Philadelphia,  while  Joseph  a 
Presbyterian  divine  of  high  repute,  preach- 
ed the  word  of  God  in  the  old  Oth  Cnurch  on 
Pine  Street  for  many  years. 

Jesse  Fell  was  proprietor  of  an  ancient 
hostelry  on  Northampton  Street  still  known 
as  the  ''Old  Fell  House."  It  was  here  Lodge 
No.  01,  F.  &  A.  M.,  held  its  initiato  y  com- 
munication in  or  about  the  year  1794;  and 
it  was  here  also  that  the  feasibility  of  burn- 
ing anthracite  coal  in  an  open  grate  was 
first  demons  rated  in  lbOT. 

The  Moses  Wood  mentioned  was  an  Eng- 
lishman by  birth  and  brought  with  him  to 
this  country  a  considerable  amount  of  Eng- 
lish gold  and  a  large  family  of  sons  and 
daughters,  now  all  dead  I  think  except  Isaa^ 
Wood,  of  Trenton,  N.J.  JohnG.  and  George 
B.  Wood,  of  this  city,  are  grandsons  of 
Moses. 

It  is  said  that  Mrs.  President  Garfield 
is  a  granddaughter  of  Jacob  Rudolph. 
There  are  no  sous  or  daughters  of  David 
Scott  now  living,  but  E.  Greenough  Scott, 
Esq.,  and  Rev.  Charles  H.  Kidder  are  grand- 
sons of  the  judge. 

Georse  Uenison  had  two  sons,  Henry  M. 
and  George:  one  of  them,  an  Episcopal 
elergymau,  married  a  daughter  of  President 
John  Tyler.  Ralph  D.  Lacoe,  of  Pittston, 
is  a  grandson  of  Francis  Da  Pr.y. 

Gen.  E.  L.  Dana  is  a  grandson  of  Ander- 
son Dana. 

Joseph  Davis  was  never  married,  he  be- 
came insane  and  shot  and  killed  a  man 
named  Diebei  on  Hazle  Street;  was  ac- 
quitted on  the  ground  of  insanity  and  spent 
tno  remainder  of  his  days  in  an  insane 
asylum. 

Burnet  Ulp  was  grandfather  of  the  Misses 
Alexander,  of  River  Street.  Gilbert  Barnes 
was  grandfather  of  Stewart  L.  and  Albert 
Barnes,  conrt  crier. 

Abrarn  Pike  was  the  father  of  Hannah 
Porter  who  several  years  ago  was  accident- 
ally shot  in  the  hand  and  arm  by  a  then 
young  member  of  the  bar  while  gunning  for 
pquirrels  in  the  timber  growing  along  the 
river  in  the  Kingston  side,  opposite  this  city. 
Joshua  Miner  was  grandfather  of  Dr.  J.  L. 
Miner,  of  this  city. 

Dr.  GW.  Trott  was  grandfather  of  Judge 
Stanley  Woodward. 

It  is  not  to  be  presumed  that    the  parties 


who«e  names  aro  mentioned  in  the  list  all 
lived  wi'hiu  our  present  city  limits.  Wilkes- 
Barre  at  that  time  extended  from  Hanover 
on  the  south,  to  Pittston  on  the  north,  and 
the  occupation  of  the  major  portion  of  per- 
sons named  was  farming.  Enquire  Yarmg- 
ton  is  undoubtedly  correct  so  far  as  his  list 
extends,  but  it  seems  to  me  that  he  has  lett  a 
wide  gap  in  the  upper  part  of  Wilkes-Barre 
Township.  My  memory  does  Dot  go  back 
as  far  as  181^  by  several  years,  but  I  know 
many  old  citizens  who  must  have  lived  there 
at  that  time  whose  names  are  not  on  the  li-t. 
For  instance,  there  was  Benjamin  Court  right, 
farmer,  father  of  John  M.,  and  James 
Oourtright,  of  this  city.  '-Uncle  Fritz 
Wagner,"  farmer,  and  next  to  him  James 
Stark,  farmer  and  merchant,  father  of  Henry 
and  John  M.  Stark,  of  West  Pittston:  John 
Stark  on  Mill  Creek,  farmer,  father  of  John 
Stark,  Mrs.  G.  M.  Miller  and  Mrs. 
O.  A.  Parsons  Cornelius  Stark,  father 
of  Col.  B.  F.  Stark,  of  this  cit\:  Crandall 
Wilcox,  farmer  who  owned  the  place,  after- 
wards property  of  John  Searl,  and  bis  son 
Samuel  Wilcox,  who  worked  the  mines  at 
Mill  Creek  slope:  Thomas  Williams  farmer, 
who  owned  the  now  John  Mitchell  place,  and 
his  soiiS  Thomas,  Ezra,  and  George 
W.  Williams:         Thomas  Osborne, 

laborer,  Punkin  Hollow,  great 

grandfather        of         the        Misses  Wil- 

doner  of  this  cify:  Stephen  Abbott  farmer 
and  his  son  John  Abbott,  father  of  the 
Misses  Cassie  and  Lucy  Abbott  of  this  city, 
Benjamin  Failey,  tanner  and  currier 
at  the  Corners:  Cornelius  orCa=e  Courtri^ht 
shoemaker,  Hiram  Post,  laborer,  Thoma, 
Josiyn  iabo<"er,  whose  son  Thomas  was  the 
first  man  killed  in  the  mines  in  this  co^l 
region:  Thomas  Woolley,  farmer  who  rai-ed 
a  large  family  of  sons  and  daughters: 
Matthias  Holhnback  miller.  "Crazy  Matt" 
so-called,  as  his  mental  infirmity  required 
that  he  be  retrained  of  hi-  liberty  for  many 
years  previous  to  his  death:  George  Dickover 
mason  and  plasterer,  father  of  William  Dick- 
over  of  this  city:  Hezekiah  Parson?  of 
Laurel  Run.  farmer  and  manufacturer, 
father  of  Calvin  Par-nn-,  and  Stephen 
Gould,  father  of  the  Goulds  who  were  active 
bnsiuess  ™en  on  the  Lehigh,  lived  on  the 
back  road  obove  Mr.  Parsons'  piace.  and 
others  probably  as  the  upper  portion  of 
Wilkes-Barre  was  well  settled  at  that  time. 

w.   J. 


Fi£lity-ttight   Years  Old 

The  Pittston  f,Vi.^/^?ay?  that  Hon.  D.  S. 
Koon  and  daughters  and  Mrs.  C.  E.  Bennett 
left  for  Tunkhannock.  where  they  were  to 
celebrate  i  he  £Sth  birthday  of  Mrs  Koon's 
sister,  Mrs.  Maria  Swartz.  on  March  137 
All  the  othe/  members  of  the  family  were 
expected  to  be  present,  including  relatives 
from  Scrantou  and  Wilkes-Barre. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Hi 


DEATH  OF  JOSEPH  BKOWN. 

The  Kx-IJsuiker  Pauses  Quietly  Away  A  Hit 
an     Illness      of     Lc-ss     Than     a     Week's 

Diirat.on, 

The  familiar  form  of  Joseph  Broun  will 
no  longer  be  seen  on  our  streets,  The 
Rkcokd  had  announced  that  Mr.  Brown 
was  indisposed  and  confined  to  his  hv>use, 
but,  no  one.  outside  of  his  family  and  a  few 
intimate  friends,  suppo-ed  that  he  was  seri- 
ously ill.  On  March  10  he  complained  of 
feeling  unwell,  but  attended  to  business  the 
same  as  usual.  On  Monday  March  21  he  cold 
his  wife  that  he  was  feeling  much  better  aid 
went  up  to  his  oiiice.  Iu  the  evening,  after 
returning  to  his  rtome.  he  was  seized  with  a 
violent  pain  in  the  region  of  the  heart  and 
fainted  away.  His  family  were  greatly 
alarmed.  Dr.  Mayer  was  summoned 
in  haste  and  up^n  bin  arrival  lound 
Mr.  Brown  in  an  unconscious  state  with 
the  pube  beating  at  160.  On  Tuesday  the 
patient  seemed  to  rally  a  little,  but  Dr. 
Mayer  saw  the  case  was  hopeiess.  The  heart 
had  refused  to  doit?  work.  There  were  also 
indications  of  pneumonia,  but  not  of  a  dan- 
gerous character.  Mr.  Brown  continued  10 
eink  slowly  until  five  minutes  of  seven  last 
Thursday  when  death  relieved  him  of  his  suf 
fenngs.  He  was  surrounded  by  his  family 
and  a  few  immediate  friends. 

Seventy-one  years  ago,  the  second  day  of 
March,  Joseph  Brown  first  saw  the  light 
of  day  in  a  little  town  in  the  north  of  Ire- 
land. At  the  early  pge  of  20  he  bade  fare- 
well to  home  and  friends  and  set  sail  for 
America  to  make  his  fortune.  Like  a 
great  many  others  of  his  class 
youns  Brown  did  not  find  the  road  to  for- 
tune and  fame  in  the  new  country  a  very 
smooth  one,  but  ho  was  possessed  of  an 
indomitable  perseverance,  backed  with  a  de- 
termination that  he  must  succeed.  To  this 
is  due  his  success  in  after  life.  In  1838  the 
poor  boy  from  the  north  of  Ireland  was 
earniuEr  a  dollar  a  day  in  a  coal  mine  at 
Snmmit  Hill.  Carbon  County.  He  was  one 
of  the  few  laborers  of  that  early  day  who 
could  read  and  write  and  his  services  were 
always  iu  demand  by  his  lers  fortunate  co- 
laborers  who  were  wont  to  communicate 
with  their  friends  in  the  old  country.  As  a 
letter  writer  he  was  a  greac  success  and  it  is 
unnecessary  to  say  that  his  ser- 
vices did  not  go  unrewarded.  Af- 
ter a  year  or  so  spent  in 
the  mines  Mr.  Brown  went  boating  on  the 
Lehigh  Canal,  running  betwteu  Maueh 
Chunk  and  Philadelphia.  He  did  not  like 
this  occupation,  however,  and  in  1810  or 
thereabouts  he  removed  to  Wilkes-Barre. 
For  two  or  three  years  he  lived  with  John 
McCarragher  and  then  went  into  the  lumber 
business  in  paitnership    with   John    Faser. 


The  firm  prospered  and  Mr.  Brown  saved  his 
money.  Thinking  there  was  more  money  in 
the  grocery  than  the  lumber  business,  the 
new  firm  of  Brown  &  Wilson  was  formed, 
who  conducted  a  pen  oral  mercantile  busi- 
ness on  West  Market  Street,  where  the 
Brown  bank  building  now  stands.  Mr. 
Brown  always  thought  he  would  make  a  suc- 
cessful banker,  and  with  this  object  in  view 
he  associated  himself  with  Alex.  McLean, 
Alex.  Gray,  Johu  Faser,  Thomas  Wilsuu,  F. 
YV.  Hunt  and  others  in  the  incorporation  of 
the  First  National  Bank  of  this  city,  which 
is  to  day  one  of  the  soundest  institutions  of 
the  kind  iu  the  State.  Afterwards  Mr. 
Brown,  iu  company  with  Alexander  Gray. 
went  into  the  private  banking  business.  The 
bank  was  successful  until  the  downfall  of  the 
New  York  banking  firm  of  Henry  Clews  & 
(Jo.,  with  whom  Brown's  bank  had  large 
dealings.  This  was  in  1873,  the  bank  losing 
S52.000  with  Clews.  83,00')  with  Ja/  Cooke 
&  Co.,  and  87.000  with,  the  Union  Banking 
Co.  of  Philadelphia,  in  all  about  $63,000. 
Mr.  Brown  endeavored  to  bear  up  under 
this  misfortune  arid  succeeded  in  doing  so 
for  five  years,  haying  made  a  settlement 
with  his  creditors.  The  pressure  finally 
proved  too  strong,  and  on  May  10,  187c  the 
bank  again  closed  it--  doors,  never  to  open 
them  again.  Abram  II.  Reynolds  was  made 
assignee.  The  net  liabilities  wer«  about 
8145,000,  and  the  net  assets  ahout  S96.000. 
For  a  time  there  was  great  indignation,  but 
the  sequel  showed  that  Mr.  Brown  had  not 
failed  rich  but  was  a  poor  man.  Mr.  Brown 
then  went  into  the  real  estate  bus.ness,  in 
which  he  was  engaged  up  to  the  time  of  his 
death. 

Mr.  Brown  was  blessed  with  a  geniality  of 
soul  that,  in  spite  of  Ids  financial  mi-for- 
tunes, made  a  host  of  friends  for  him.  He 
was  a  good  citizen,  a  kind  husband  and  a 
loving  father. 

In  1850  deceased  married  Miss  Annie 
Gray,  daughter  of  Alex.  Gray,  of  this  city, 
and  eight  chddren  were  the  result  of  the 
union,  only  three  of  whom  survive — Alex. 
G..  who  is  engaged  iu  the  seed  business  in 
Pniladelphia,  and  Miss  Emma  and  Miss 
Edith,  who  re-ide  at  home.  Matthew  Brown, 
a  brother  of  the  ex-banker,  is  engaged  in 
farming  in  thy  vicinitv  of  Harvey's  Lake. 
Two  other  brothers,  John  and  James,  re-ide 
iu  Mi-souri,  the  former  being  a  minister  of 
the  rrospei.  Mr.  Brown  was  a  Republican  in 
politics  and  a  member  of  Memorial  Church. 

All  that  was  mortal  of  the  late  Joseph 
Brown  was  laid  away  in  Hellenback  Ceme- 
tery Monday,  March  28.  A  lar^e  number 
of  friends  met  at  the  family  residence,  in- 
cluding a  notable  number  of  old  citizens, 
decea.-ed  having  been  a  resident  of  Wilkes- 
Barre  for  50  years.  The  services  were  con- 
ducted by  Rev.  C.  R.  Gregory,  pastor  of  de- 


11(5 


THE  HISTORICAL  UECOJlh. 


ceased,  assisted  by  Rev.  Dr.  Hodge  and 
Rev.  Dr.Parke.  The  pall  bearers  were  VV. 
W.  Loomis,  VV.  S.  Parsons,  T.  J.  Chase,  B. 
(x.  Carpenter,  Isaiah  M.  Leach,  and  Samuel 
Roberts.  ___  _____ 

Christian  Conrad's  Fat«*l  Injury. 

On  March  1<>,  Christian  Conrad,  a  well- 
known  miner  of  this  city,  F>2  years  of 
age,  was  injured  by  a  fall  of  top  rock 
in  the  Hollenback,  from  the  effects  of 
which  he  died  March  29,  after  an  amount 
of  suffering  that  must  have  made  death  wel- 
come. His  hip  was  fractured  and  there  were 
extensive  internal  injuries.  Mr.  Conrad 
came  to  Wilkes-Barre  from  Germany  in 
1855,  since  which  time  he  held  several 
responsible  positions  as  miae  boss — at  the 
old  Landmesser  breaker,  the  Newport 
breaker,  the  Empire  and  the  Mocanaqna.  It 
was  during  his  term  at  the  latter  mine  that 
the  frightful  disaster  of  year  before  last  oc- 
curred, he  being  charged  with  the  responsi- 
bility therafor,  tried  and  convicted.  The 
penalty  was  a  $50  fine,  winch  his  friends 
allege  was  paid  by  others  who  were  equally 
responsible  witti  him,  but  who  were  so  fortu- 
nate a?  to  escape  arrest.  Mr.  Conrad  married 
iu  Wilkes  Barre  but  his  wife,  a  Mrs.  Loch, 
died  12  years  ago.  He  is  survived  by  6 
children,  all  adults  except  one.  A  eon, 
Christian,  is  a  barber  in  Plymouth.  Philip 
Conrad,  of  Ashley,  Nicholas  and  Peter,  of 
Wilkes-Barre,  are  brothers,  and  Mrs.  Spen- 
dler,  of  this  city  is  a  sister.  Funeral  Thurs- 
day at  3  Horn  the  family  residence  on  Ross 
Street. 

A  Tailor's  Long-  Life  Ended. 
For  more  than  a  third  of  a  century  there 
has  been  a  merchant  tailor  in  our  midst. 
and  he  followed  his  trade  for  a  even  a  longer 
period  before  coming  here.  Hi'  name  was 
Henry  Christian  Engelke.  aTid  he  died  of 
paralysis  on  Tuesday, March  29.  Mr  Eogelke 
was  born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  in  June, 
1802,  coming  to  America  and  settling  in 
Wilkes-Barre  in  185:2.  He  married  a  Mrs, 
Knsctike,  and  for  many  years  wasin  the  tail- 
oring business  with  Iter  two  sons,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Eugelke  &  Kuschke.  His  sec- 
ond wife  was  Mary  Band,  who  survives  him. 
He  had  no  children  by  either  marriage.  He 
has  always  been  a  diligent  worker,  attend- 
ing strictly  to  business,  and  was  engaged  at 
his  trade  up  to  the  day  of  his  prostration,  on 
Friday  last.  He  passed  out  of  life  quietly 
arid  peacefully.  He  was  of  quiet  demeanor 
and  an  excellent  and  substantial  citizen.  He 
was  an  Odd  Fellow,  both  of  subordinate 
lodge  and  encampment,  and  wa*  a  member 
of  the  German  Lutheran  Church.  He  had  no 
relatives  in  America.  Funeral  Sunday  at  li 
from  his  late  residence,  72  South  River 
Street. 


An  Aged  I. July's  Death. 

Our  townsman,  Joseph  Birkbeck,  met 
with  a  bereavement  on  March  30,  in  the 
death  of  his  mother,  at  Freehand.  From  the 
Progress  we  glean  the  following  facte: 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Johnson  Birkbeck  passed 
peacefully  unto  her  eternal  re-t.  at  the  ripe 
age  of  8o  years,  1  month  and  18  days.  De- 
ceased was  born  at  Buck  Hill-,  Stainmoor, 
near  Brough,  England,  Feb.  12.  1804.  Came 
to  America  with  her  husband,  Joseph,  in 
184-1.  Finally  located  in  Sonth  Hebertou, 
where  they  built  a  house  in  1800,  in  the  cen- 
trre  of  400  acres.  Mr.  Birkbeck  made  the 
firot  clearing,  built  the  first  house  and  raised 
the  first  crop  in  South  Hebarton.  Soon  after 
her  residence  in  the  then  wilderness,  she  per- 
ceived a  deer  coming  over  the  hill,  Wtiich  had 
been  worried  by  dog*:  the  deer  seeing  her 
made  a  direct  line  for  her  persou,  when 
she  grasped  an  axe  and  killed  it,  by  first 
breaking  its  frout  legs  and  then  cutting  it* 
throat.  Her  husband,  who  was  engaged  as  a 
miner,  prospector  and  farmer,  died  some 
years  .ago.  after  placing  hi*  wife  in  indeed 
well-to-do  circumstances.  The  fruits  of  their 
marriage  were  thirteen  children,  three  of 
whom  survive  them:  Joseph,  real  estate 
agent  and  broker  at  Wilkes-Barre:  Thomas, 
real  estate  ag^nt  and  drover;  and  Mrs.  Wm. 
Johnson,  both  of  this  place. 


A  Rridj;e,  Contractor  I>ea<1. 

William  Best  died  at  hi*  home  iu  Kings- 
ton March  30  at  7  o'clock,  at  the  age  of 
70.  He  had  been  a  sufferer  some  \ears  from 
rheumatism,  and  a  year  ago  his  health  failed 
entirely,  confining  him  to  the  house  aimost 
constantly.  A  week  ago  pneumonia  Set 
inand  his  collapse  speedily  followed. 
Mr.  Best  is  survived  by  his  wife,  but  with 
him  his  own  family  disappears,  his  only  re- 
maini.ua  brother  having  died  a  few  months 
ago  at  L'tica,  their  birthplace.  Mr.  Best  was 
a  bridge  contractor  and  builder,  and  in  hi* 
prime  wa*  a  man  of  note. in  this  line  of  in- 
dustry. His  first  connection  hereabouts  was 
with  trie  budding  of  bridges  on  the  northern 
division  of  the  D.  L  &  VV.  RR  .  then 
known  as  theLeggett's  Creek  RR.  In  simi- 
lar catvicity  he  was  connected  with  the  south- 
em  division  of  the  same  road,  and  later  be- 
came bridge  builder  aud  master  earp-nter  of 
the  Lackawanna  &  Bloom*burg  Rft  ,  iu 
which  capacity  he  c  mtmued  while  his  health 
held  out.  Some  year*  since  when,  on  cer- 
tain account,  the  ijuestion  was  raised  as  to  the 
stability  of  the  Wilkes-Barre  bridge,  he  was 
one  of  a  committee  who  rxade  a  thorough 
examination  and  report  respecting  it.  While 
able,  after  retiring  trom  the  railroad, he  car- 
ried on  the  picture  frame  business  m  K'ugs. 
too.  He  wa*  a  consistent  member  of  the 
M.  E.  Church,  and  iu  all  re*pects  a  good 
citizen. 


■    "-     ■  ■rwmw 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


117 


THE  FINCH    FAMILY  RE-UNION. 

A  Woman  who  Han  Lived  in  tho  Same 
House  for  Sixty-nine  Years— Remarka- 
ble Instances  of  Longevity. 

[Carbondale  Leader.] 

Tne  homo  of  Philip  and  Fannie  Felts,  in 
Greenfield  Tottttship,  Lackawanna  County, 
was  made  joyous  on  Tuesday,  Feb.  1,  by  a 
family  gathering  to  celebrate  the  ninetieth 
birthday  of  Mrs.  Fanny  Spencer,  who  is 
keeping  house  on  the  old  homestead  where 
she  first  commenced  after  her  marriage  in 
1818. 

Fanny  Spencer  was;  born  Feb.  1,  1707,  in 
Pittston  Township,  Luzerne  County.  She 
came  into  Greenfield  with  her  father,  I*aac 
Finch,  in  1^10,  was  married  to  Leonard 
Spencer  in  1818;  commenced  house-Keeping 
ou  the  farm  on  which  she  now  resides, 
was  the  mother  of  eight  children,  of 
which  six  are  now  living;  grand-chil- 
dren thirty-seven,  .now  living  twenty- 
six;  great  grandchildren  fifty-four,  now  liv- 
ing lorty-iive.  The  oldest  great  grandchild 
is  nearly  twenty-four  years  old  and  married. 
She  says  the  first  Methodist  meeting  held  in 
Greenfield  (which  then  included  Scott),  was 
held  in  their  house  by  Rev.  Silas  Comfort, 
about  1831.  About  six  years  after.she  united 
with  the  Mi  E.  Church  and  from  that  time 
until  the  present  her  house  has  ever  been  a 
welcome  home  for  the  itinerant. 

Her  fathers  family  is  remarkable  for  lon- 
gevity, perhaps  without  a  parallel  in  the 
county.  Her  father,  Isaac  Fmch,  was  born 
in  Plains  Township,  Luzerne  County,  Feb. 
25.  1703,  narried  Sarah  Tompkins.  Oct.  19. 
1793.  moved  into  Greenfield  in  1809  and 
died  March  10,  1818,  being  85. years  old. 
They  had  ten  children,  four  of  whom  are  still 
living.  Isaac  Finch  the  second,'  better  known 
as  Captain  Finch )  was  born  Nov.  20,  1798; 
died  April  14,  1800,  being  seventy-one  years 
old.  Nathaniel  Fmch  was  bom  Feb.  3,  1792: 
died  June  20,  188-1,  being  ninety-two  ypars 
o'd.  John  G.  Finch  was  born  May  19.  1794; 
died  Jan.  1(3,  1886.  being  ninety-two  years 
Old.  When  quite  an  aged  man  he  said  that 
whiskey  had  become  so  poor  and  poisonous 
he  would  drink  no  more  of  it.  At  the  age  of 
eighty  he  gave  up  the  use  of  tobacco  which 
resolution  he  kept  the  remainder  of  his  hie. 
Fanny  Spencer  nee  Finch,  was  born  Feb.  7, 
1797,  she  i*  still  living  being  ninety  years 
old.  Carpenter  Finch  was  born  Nov.  21, 
1799:  emigrated  West:  his  whereabouts  not 
known:  if  living,  eighty-seven  years  old. 
Juli*  Foster  nee  Finch,  wa*  born  April  23, 
1802:  died  July  20,  1831,  being  twenty-nine 
years  old.  L^vina  Benson  nee  Finch,  was 
born  March  18,  1805,  is  living;  eighty-one 
years  old. 

Sally  Marson,  nee  Finch,  was  born  May  4, 
1808;  living,  being  79  years  old.    Solomon 


Finch  (better  known  as  Deacon  Finch;  was 
born  November  4,  1810,  died  September  24, 
1880.  being  70  years  old.  Polly  Whipple. 
hce  Fmch,  was  born  July  5,  1813,  is  living 
being  74  years  old.  Supposing  that  Carpen- 
ter Finch  is  living,  the  united  ages  of  ten 
children  with  their  parents  would  be  939 
years.  The  average  duration  of  life  of  each 
family  is  78  years  and  3  mouths. 


A  Former  Wilkes-Darreail  Dead. 

[Owego,  (N.  Y.)  Gazette.] 

John  S.  Madden  died  at  his  residence  in 
the  town  of  Windham,  Pa.,  near  Nichols, 
March  22.  Mr.  Madden  was  born  in  Limer- 
ick, Ireland,  June  14,  1800,  and  came  to 
America  in  May,  1831,  going  to  Sdver  Lake, 
Susquehauna  County,  Pa.,  where  he  resided 
two  years.  He  removed  thence  to  Wilkes- 
Barre,  where  he  remained  until  1844,  when 
he  came  to  Warren,  Bradford  County,  and 
purchased  a  farm.  Two  years  after  he  sold 
his  farm  and  removed  to  vVindham  Centre, 
where  he  resided  until  his  death.  In  1846, 
he  purchased  a  farm  of  210  acres  and  built 
a  saw  mill  and  grist  mill,  and  afterward 
a  tannery.  His  buildings  were  destroyed 
by  fire  three  times,  the  last  time  fifteen 
years  ago,  and  were  not  rebuilt.  Mr.  Mad- 
den accumulated  a  handsome  property,  but 
lost  largely  m  the  failure  of  the  Eureka 
Mowing  Machine  Manufacturing  Co., 
at  Towanda  a  few  years  ago.  He  was  a  man 
of  great  energy  and  public  spirit.  He  was 
president  of  the  projected  Bradford  railroad, 
and  labored  long  and  actively  to  secure  its 
construction.  He  was  a  prominent  Demo- 
crat. He  leaves  a  wife,  two  sons  and  four 
daughters. 

Death  of  au  Aeed  Luzerne  Countian. 

James  Ross,  a  well-known  citizen  of  Dal- 
las, died  at  his  home  on  March  27,  aged  93 
years.  Mr.  Ross  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
in  Dallas,  and  had  lived  there  during  almost 
his  entire  life,  as  a  farmer.  Death  was  not 
unexpected,  as  he  had  been  sinking  gradu- 
ally, ocing  to  his  advanced  age,  for  a  year 
or  more. 

Deceased  leaves  six  children,  all  but  one 
being  married.  The  oldest.  Shaver  Ross,  is 
living  in  Iowa;  Samuel  still  lives  in  Dallas 
with  his  father,  and  Sterling,  the  third  son, 
resides  also  at  home,  being  still  unmarried. 
Of  the  daughter.  Luciuda  lives  m  Kansas, 
the  wife  of  Elam  Honeywell:  Elizabeth  mar- 
ried Mr.  Pinkman  and  lives  in  New  York 
State,  and  Margaret  is  the  wife  of  William 
Moore,  living  in  Kansas. 

James  Ross  was  a  native  of  Luzerne 
County,  and  has  never  lived  outside  its 
bounds  since  his  birth  in  1794.  Funeral 
Tuesday  at  2  pm.  at  Carverton. 


-    ' 


118 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


The  Late  Win.  S.  Davis. 

The  Danville  American  mentions  the  at- 
tendance upon  the  funeral  of  the  late  Win. 
S.  Davis,  in  that  place,  of  Daniel  Edwards 
and  Rev.  T.  C.  Edwards,  of  Kingston.  The 
American  says: 

Early  on  Monday  morning,  March  21,  W, 
S.  Davis  departed  this  life  in  the  78th  year 
of  his  age.  Mr.  Davis  was  born  in  Glam- 
morganshire,  South  Wales,  in  1809.  He 
emigrated  to  this  country  in  1830  and 
settled  in  Pottsville.  In  185b  he  came  to 
Danville  and  for  the  past  thirty  years  has 
resided  hore,  following  his  occupation,  that 
of  a  miner,  excepting  the  last  e*ght  years, 
when  his  age  compelled  him  to  seek  less 
arduous  tasus.  Ho  had  been  a-sisting  his 
son,  Wm.  C.  Davis,  until  the  infirmities  of 
old  age  took  a  strong  hold  on  him.  resulting 
in  his  death  on  last  Monday  morning  alter 
a  short  illness:  Mr.  Davis  was  a  good  citi- 
zen and  beloved  by  all  his  acquaintances. 
His  wife  died  some  sixteen  years  ago.  He 
leaves  two  sons  to  mourn  his  loss,  W.  C. 
Davis,  of  this  place,  and  Daniel  8.  Davis, 
of  Kingston. 

Twenty-Five  Years  in  Town. 
II  was  just  25  years  ago  Monday  that  our 
townsman,  11.  H.  Derr  came  to  Wilkes- 
Barre,  and  in  conversation  with  him  on  Sat- 
urday relative  to  this  quarter-centennial, 
Mr.  Derr  said  it  was  remarkable  what  ad- 
vancement Wiikes-Barre  had  made  in  that 
space  of  time.  This  advancement  is  in 
territorial  area,  in  population,  in  railroa  i 
facilities  and  in  the  value  of  real  estate.  At 
that  date,  March  23,  1SG2,  Mr.  D^ir  came 
into  town  alone  and  on  foot.  Instead  of 
being  the  important  railroad  centre  that  it 
now  is,  making  it  one  of  the  most  advant- 
ageously located  business  points  in  the 
country,  it  had  only  one  road,  the  Lehigh  & 
Susquehanna,  which  had  a  depot  at  the 
lower  end  of  Main  Street  and  hois  en  a  few 
passengers  up  the  Ashley  planes.  But  even 
this  means  of  exit  was  suspended 
in  the  winter  season.  Tne  only  out- 
let north  was  via  the  Lackawanna  &  Blooms- 
burg  road  at  Kingston.  Mr.  Derr  says  his 
brother,  Thompson,  had  preceded  him  some 
six  years  and  that  the  day  after  his  (  H.  H. 
Derr's)  arrival  the  two  brothers  walked  to 
Pittstou  and  back,  in  the  absence  of  any 
railroad.  Thai  year  the  insurance  firm  of 
'I  hompson  Derr  A'  Bro.  was  formed,  though 
the  business  was  not  extensive  enough  to  re- 
quire an  office  until  October,  when  a  lease 
was  made  with  Ziba  Bennett  fur  the  rooms 
over  what  is  now  the  Adams  Express.  These 
rooms  were  occupied  for  lb*  years.  The 
business,  no  louder  local,  but  comprising 
State  agencies,  now  requires  a  force  of  1-1  in 
the  Wilkes-Barre  office,  and  150  throughout 
the  State. 


At  that  date  Wilkes-Barre  had  a  popula- 
tion of  about  4,000— now  it  is  estimated  to 
have  'I'). 000.  The  borough  extended  from 
North  Street  to  a  short  distance  below  It-;.-.-, 
and  from  the  liver  to  the  old  canal,  where 
now  stands  the  Lehigh  Valley  RR.  depot. 

Not  only  has  the  population  been  multi- 
plied by  10.  but  the  value  of  real  estate  has 
advanced,  fully  as  much  if  not  more.  Mr. 
Derr  says  he  was  offered  in  18'vi  the  prop- 
erty on  Pablic  Square  where  Isaac  Long's 
store  is  now  located,  at  £75  a  foot  front. 
Property  on  Public  Square  to-day  is  worth 
81,000  a  foot. 

The  boroueh  of  that  day  ha=  become  a 
populous  city  and  has  added  suburb  after 
suburb  until  scarcely  a  trace  of  old  Wilkes- 
Barre  is  discoverable.  The  latest  addition 
is  that  being  made  by  Mr.  Derr  himself, 
whose  recent  purchase  of  40  acres  the  Con- 
yugham  farm  in  North  Wilkes-Barre.  wiil 
throw  hundreds  of  desirable  building  lots 
into  the  market.  Its  proximity  to  the  Le- 
high Valley  shops  and  the  Sheldon  axle 
works,  as  well  as  its  nearne-s  to  town,  make 
it  particularly  desirabl"  for  homes  for  work- 
ingmen  and  already  200  lots  have  been  sold, 
some  as  low  as  S10  a  front  foot.  It  would 
be  interesting  to  know  the  value  of  this  tract 
25  years  from  now. 

Mr.  Derr  came  here  without  capital  but 
by  industry  he  has  become  highly  successful 
in  bu^mess.  Besides  this  he  has  taken  such 
an  interest  in  the  development  of  the  town 
and  the  advancement  of  the  interests  of  the 
community  that  he  has  for  many 
years  been  an  indispensable  factor 
in  our  local  life.  While  he  has  achieved  a 
competency  out  of  our  people,  he  has  always 
spent  hi*  moiir-y  here  and  in  that  way  has 
replaced  everything  he  took  out.  His  busi- 
ness life  has  not  been  a  parasitic  one  by 
any  means. 

His  host  of  friends  will  unite  in  cngratu- 
latmg  him  on  passioe  the  quarter  century 
post  in  his  business  life,  with  a  satisfactory 
record  for  ths  pa-t  and  a  bright  outlook  for 
the  future. 

An  Old   Wilkes- K*irre  IMitor. 

[North  Wales  Record.] 
Samuel  R.  Gordon,  of  North  Wales,  has  in 
his  posse-sion  an  old  copy  of  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Correspondent,  published  by  Asher 
Miner,  in  Doylestown.  It  is  of  the  date  of 
September  15,  18:i3,  and  is  interesting  from 
its  antiquity.  Asher  Miner  was  the  father 
of  Bucks  County  newspapers.  He  came 
from  Hartford,  Connecticut,  in  1S04,  and 
commenced  the  publication  of  the  first 
newspaper  in  that  county  that  had  a  con- 
tinued existence.  The  Correspondent  was 
the  predecessor  of  the  present  Bucks  County 
Intelligencer. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


110 


OLD  TJ  ME  RIVER    N  AVJGA TI O N. 

Interesting1  Reminiscence  by  taitlj  11. 
Wi*lghtt  KSq.~A  Novel  Rope  that  was 
Ueed,  all  Knowledge  of  Whose  Making 

is  now  Lo:-t. 

[Letter  to  the  Editor.  1 

In  passing  over  the  Lackawanna  & 
JBloomeburg  RR.,  a  certain  point  near  the 
Plymouth  Academy  always  calls  up  reeo- 
lections  of  the  time  when  it  was  the  scene 
of  busy  enterprise.  It  might  be  entitled  to 
the  appellation  of  a  shipyard.  There  was 
not  its  equal  in  the  valley.  It  was  trie  point 
of  shipment  of  coal.  Hero  the  Smith-, 
pioneers  in  the  traffic,  constructed  their 
arks,  on  the  side  of  an  excavated  basin,  as  I 
remember  it,  three  or  four  hundred  feet 
square.  From  the  basin,  a  canal  outlet  led 
to  the  river.  This  was  a  dry  basin,  until 
filled  by  the  back  flow,  in  times   of  freshets. 

The  bottoms  of  the 'arks,  ninety  feet  in 
length,  were  first  constructed,  the  lower  side 
uppermost.  Then  they  were  turned  over, 
and  the  sides  and  diamond  shaped  ends  add- 
ed. They  were  sometimes  filled  with  coal 
at  ouce,  awaiting  the  rising  of  the  river,  and 
when  afloat,  towed  into  the  stream.  Four 
men  formed  the  crew.  The  pilot  had  charge 
of  the  front  oar;  the  steersman  the  hind  one. 

I  had  the  honour,  in  my  boyhood,  of  tak- 
ing two  voyages  on  coal  arks.  The  excite- 
ment of  river  navigation  was  very  great  in 
going  down  to  tide  water.  But  the  no-river 
tramp,  on  foot,  not  so  agreeable.  Rat  we 
formed  lively  squads  on  the  march,  and 
fouud  abundant  supplies  of  ham  and  eggs 
at  the  taverns. 

I  have  made  the  foregoing  prefatory  to 
the  notice  of  an  implement  in  rive:  naviga- 
tion, which.  I  am  disposed  to  think,  was 
original  with  the  coal  trade.  It  was  the  ark 
rope,  as  then  called,  and  one  man  enjoyed 
the  monopoly  of  its  manufacture  This 
man's  name  was  Lee.  At.  one  time  he  owned 
a  valuable  farm  on  the  east  side  of  the  river, 
near  Shickshinny.  A  prevailing  fever  car- 
ried off  one  of  his  children,  lie  denounced 
the  region  as  unfit  to  live  in,  sold  out  at  a 
sacrifice  and  moved  to  the  western  part  of 
our  State.  There,  in  a  year's  time,  another 
child  died  during  the  prevailance  of  a  fatal 
epidemic.  He  said  this  was  mo^e  than  he 
could  stand,  and  pulled  out  for  Ohio.  Very 
soon,  in  the  new  locality,  he  lost  two  more. 
He  swore  vengeance  against  the  Buckeye 
region,  and,  bankrupted  in  means,  came 
back  to  Luzerne.  With  his  antifebrile 
conviction*  in  fall  blast,  he  severed  connec- 
tion with  the  human  race  and  squatted  iu 
the  woods  at  the  foot  of  the  North  Mountain, 
back  of  Harvey's  Lake,  five  miles  from  the 
nearest  neighbor.  A  difficult  place,  as  ho 
thought,  for  a  fever  to  find  out.  lie  put  up 
bis  cabin  on  the  margin  of    a    small  pond, 


where  bis  inventive  genius  found  scope  in  a 
branch  of  manufacture,  that  came  in  and 
went  out  with  his  own  existence.  In  fact 
it  gave  him  local  immortality.  I  don't  know 
of  any  other  artificer,  at  least  in  that  quarter 
of  tlio  globe,  who  ever  made  a  hawser  a  hun- 
dred feet  long  and  bi;j  as  a  man's  arm,  out 
of  hickory  sprints.  A  cable  had  need  of 
strength,  required  to  stop  a  heavily  freight- 
ed ark  in  a  swift  current.  But  old  Lee's  ark 
rope  could  do  it. 

These  hawsers  were  brought  by  him,  one 
at  a  time,  to  Smith's  basin,  whore  they  each 
brought  a  dollar  or  two.  I  more  than  once 
saw  the  oid  mountaineer  arrive,  with  the 
enormous  rope  wound  round  the  body  of  a 
ringboned  Bucephalus  and  himself  on  top  of 
it.  C   E.  Weight. 

Doyle&town,  March  28,  1887. 

Wilcox  Genealogical  Data  Wanted. 
[Letter  to  iho  Editor.  J 

Isaac  and  Crandal  Wilcox,  brothers,  came 
from  Rhode  Island  to  the  Wyoming  Valley 
after  1772,  escaped  the  massacre  iu  1778 
and  returned  to  Rhode  Island.  Isaac  there 
married  Nancy  Newcomb,  whor-e  mother  was 
a  Gardner,  came  again  to  Wyoming  and  a 
few  years  later  moved  to  Dutchess  Connty, 
New  York,  where  he  died  in  1810.  Crandal 
came  to  Wyoming  again  about  1701.  They 
had  a  sister  who  married  Daniel  Rosekrans 
and  went  to  Ohio. 

In  1702  Amos  Wilcox,  of  Miuisink,  con- 
veyed to  Isaac  Wilcox,  husbandman,  and 
Crandal  Wilcox,  blacksmith,  land  in  Wilkes- 
Barre  Township. 

Esen  Wilcox  in  1771  occupied  land  in 
Pittston  on  his  father  Stephen's  right.  Esen 
was  killed  in  the  battle. 

Ehsha  Wilcox  sold  to  Ebenezer  Marcy, 
An^j.  1,  1773,  his  land  in  Pittston  and  took 
up  his  residence  in  Putnam  Township,  on 
the  Tunkhannock.  In  1778,  on  his  way 
down  the  river  to  warn  the  inhabitants  at 
Wyoming  of  the  enemy's  aoproach.  he  was 
taken  prisoner.     What  became  of  him? 

Daniel  Wilcox  appears  as  one  of  the  uran- 
tees  in  the  Indian  Deed  of  Purchase  1754. 
He  waa  from  Connecticut. 

How  were  Amos,  Daniel,  Ehsha  and  Esen 
related  to  Isaac  and  Crandal.  if  at  all? 

Any  information  regarding  these  people  is 
desired  by  William  A.  ^Vilcox,  Wyoming,  Pa. 


The  newly  organized  Bucks  County  So- 
ciety has  had  a  seal  cut.  It  is  a  fac  simile 
of  the  first  seal  of  Bucks  County.  It  is  a 
shield  in  the  centre,  with  tne  Penn  circles 
or  balls  across  the  middle.  Above  is  the 
tree  branching  forth,  while  on  the  sides 
depending  from  the  top  of  the  shield  are  the 
vines  or  branches.  Around  the  edge  is  the 
inscription  "Bucks  County  Historical  Soci- 
ety—Incorporated 1835." 


120 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Origin  of  the  Union  League. 

Editor  Rkcokd:  This  organization  origi- 
nated in  Luzerne  County,  which  fact,  1  gre- 
BQmo,  most  of  your  readers  are  i;ot  aware 
of.  Tho  writer  hereof  and  four  others,  then 
members  of  the  Luzerne  Count?  Executive 
Committee,  IS.  P.  Lougstreet,  chairman, 
were  the  initial  members,  the  first  who  sub- 
scribed to  the  obligations  ot  the  League. 

A  man  by  the  name  of  Hosea  whs  sent  to 
Harrisburg  in  February,  1862,  conveying 
from  us  letters  of  introduction  and  recom- 
mendation to  the  Republican  members  of 
the  Pennsylvania  Legislature,  expressing  a 
hope  that  they  would  give  the  matter  their 
favorable  consideration,  that  they  would  in- 
troduce the  League  and  get  it  started  among 
their  constituents. 

Democrats  at  Harrisburg  suspected  that 
some  movement  antagonistical  to  their  in- 
terest was  being  inaugurated,  and  while 
Hosea  was  absent  in  Philadelphia  a  day  or 
two,  parties  succeeded  in  gaining  access  to 
his  trunk  and  abstracted  therefrom  papers 
relating  to  the  secret  workings  of  the 
League:  aiso  our  endorsements  of  the  or- 
ganization, which  were  published  in  the 
Harrisburg  Patriot  and  Union,  and  many- 
other  papers.  The  Patriot  and  Union  was 
curious  to  know  who  the  endorsers  of  the 
organization  were,  etc.,  and  the  Luzerne 
Union,  of  Wilkes-Barre,  responded  by- 
giving  us  all  a  raking  down,  calling  the 
writer  a  John  Brown  Abolitionist,  which,  at 
that  time,  was  about  as  approbnuus  an  epi- 
thet, viewed  from  the  Union's  standpoint, 
as  could  well  be  applied  to  a  person. 

Hosea,  to  whom  reference  has  been  made, 
resided,  I  think,  at  Carbondale.  He  was 
afterwards  assistant  provost  marshal  in 
time  of  the  war,  and  was  shot  and  killed  by 
a  deserter  whom  he  was  endeavoring  to  ar- 
rest. 

The  Union  League  speedily  grew  from  an 
apparently  obscure  origin  to  national  prom- 
inence and  importance.  It  is  closely  con- 
nected with,  in  fact  it  comprises  part  of,  the 
history  of  the  war  of  the  Rebellion.  It  ren- 
dered efficient  aid  to  the  party  in  power, 
both  during  and  subsequent  to  the  war. 

C.  J.  Baldwin. 

Norwalk,  0.,  March  23,  1887. 


The  Organizers  of  the  Union  League. 

A  writer  in  the  Leader  takes  exception 
to  the  reminiscence  furnished  the  Record 
by  Columbus  J.  Baldwin,  of  Norwalk,  Q., 
relative  to  the  organizing  of  the  Union  Leag- 
ue, and  in  the  course  of  the  article  says: 

It  is  true  that  the  organization  originated 
in  Luzerne  Co.,  but  Hosea  Caroenter,  of 
Scott  township,  who  was  sent  to  Harrisburg 
with  the  important  letters  from  the  Luzerne 


County  Executive  Committee, of  which  Mr.S. 
B.  Longstreet  (a  patriot  who  thought  lie 
could  do  more  good  by  staying  at  home 
ihan  by  going  to  war;  was  chairman,  to  tho 
Pennsylvania  Legislature.  Carpenter  was 
a  half-witted  fellow,  and  died  a  natural  death, 
and  therefore  was  not  shot  and  killed  by  a 
deserter  he  was  endeavoring  to  arrest  while 
serving  in  the  capacity  of  assistant  provost 
marshal.  Mr.  Baldwin  who  recalls  this  in- 
teresting League  reminiscence,  was  former- 
ly a  resident  of  Jackson  township,  subse- 
quently ot  this  city  and  was  at  one  time 
Clerk  of  Courts  of  Luzerne.  .  He  was  a 
bright,  witty  fellow,  fully  as  patriotic  as  Mr 
Lon  street,  tmd  did  considerable  newspaper 
[in  the  Recobd  of  tiik  Times]  writing  un- 
der thenom  do  plume  of  "Mountaieer." 


A  Former  Beach  Haven    Lady  Dead. 

Mrs.  Anna  Seely,  widow  of  Andrew  Seely, 
a  well  known  resident  of  lower  Luzerne 
County,  died  on  Monday,  April  4,  at  the  resi- 
dence of  her  son-in-law,  J.  W.  Drei-bach, 
with  whom  she  had  lived  for  seven  years. 
She  was  sick  only  a  few  days  a:;d  death  re- 
seulted  from  pneumonia.  Mrs.  Sfely's 
maiden  name  was  Eenstermaeher,  and  she 
was  born  in  Salem  Township  00  years  ago. 
Her  husband,  who  W"s  a  farmer,  died  i-even 
years  ago.  They  had  no  children  Mrs.  Seely 
is  survived  by  three  children  from  her  first 
marriage— Mrs.  J,  VV.  Dreisbach  and  J.  M. 
Brymer,  both  of  this  city,  and  Mrs.  Jo-eph- 
ine  Hendershot,  of  Kingston.  Mrs.  Jacob 
Housenick,  of  this  city,  is  a  si-ter,  also  Mrs. 
Rombach,  of  Watsontown,  and  Mrs.  Michael 
Hess,  of  Salem,  ana  Mrs.  Pnilip  Weiss,  of 
Hollenback.  John  Fenstermacher,  of 
Salem,  is  the  only  surviving  brother. 
Mrs.  Seely  was  a  member  of  trie 
Presbyterian  Church  and  worshipped  et  the 
South  Wilkes-Barre  Chapel.  She  was  a  wo- 
man who  was  held  in  very  high  esteem  and 
her  death  will  be  sincerely  mourned,  not 
alone  by  her  immediate  family,  but  by  all 
who  knew  her.  Funeral  Thursday  at  8  am., 
from  residence  of  Mr.  Dreisbach.  101  Han- 
over Street,  proceeding  on  10  o'clock  tram 
to  Beach  Haven  by  L.  &  B.  RR.  Interment 
at  Beach  Haven. 


At  the  annual  meeting  of  the  Montgomery 
County  Historical  Society  the  following  offi- 
cers were  recently  elected:  President,  Theo. 
W.  Bean;  Vieo  Presidents,  ex-Juige  H.  C. 
Hoover  and  Dr.  Hiram  Corson:  Secretary, 
Isaac  Clusen:  Treasurer,  William  McUer- 
mott;  Trustees,  H.  M.  Kratz,  Benjamin 
V\  ertzner;  James  Detweiler,  J.  K.  Gotwals 
and  William  McDeruiott.  Interesting 
papers  on  several  historical  topics  were 
read. 


'   ' 


--•  •- 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECOUP. 


121 


Latitude  of  IVllkes-liarre. 

41  degrees,  11  minutes,  17  seconds  in  1755,  as 
taken  by  John  Jenkins. 

A  l  decrees*  14  minutes,  27  seconds  in  1770,  as 
taken  by  Samnel  WaJlis. 

41  degrees,  L4  minutes,  40  seconds  in  17S7,  as 
^ivon  by  David  H.  Conyngham. 

41  degrees,  14  minutes, 40.4  seconds  in  1881,  as 
taken  by  second  geological  survey. 

These  observations  were  made  at  the  fol- 
lowing: points:  The  third  and  fourth  on  the 
Public  Square.  The  second  at  Fort  Durkee, 
situate  on  the  bank  of  the  Snsquehanna 
about  where  the  residence  of  Wm.  L. 
Conyngham  stands.  The  first  at  a  point 
unknown. 

The  distances  apart,  in  a  southern  direc- 
tion, would  be:  the  third,  2.4  rods  south  of 
the  fourth;  the  second  about  80  rod-  south 
of  the  fourth,  and  the  first  about  142  rods 
south  of  the  fourth. 

I.  accept  the  fourth  point  of  observation 
as  giving  the  most  perfect  result,  as  it  was 
done  with  modern  instruments  made  ex- 
pressly for  that  kind  of  work,  with  great 
care  and  at  large  expense,  and  after  many 
observations,  in  a  house  built  for  the  pur- 
pose, covering  a  considerable  period  of 
time;  while  the  others  were  made  by  com- 
mon surveyors'  compasses  in  the  woods  or 
on  the  open  plain. 

The  agreement  is  very  close  considering 
the  great  disadvantages  under  which  the 
early  observers  labored.  Who  made  the 
Conyngham  observation  it  is  not  stated.  He 
was  on  a  visit  to  the  valley  in  1767,  and 
noted  in  his  journal  "Wilkes- Barre  is  in  41 
degrees  14  minutes  40  seconds  north  lati- 
tude." Steueen  Jenkins. 


Not  a  Relative  of  Mrs.  Garfield. 

Editoe  Record:  In  a  communication  in 
the  Regobd  published  March  28.  1887, 
signed  "W.  J."  is  the  statement  that  "It  is 
said  that  Mrs.  President  Garfield  is  a  grand- 
daughter of  Jacob  Rudolph."  Jacob  Rudolph 
is  in  Mr.  Yarington's  list  of  business  men 
in  Wilkes-Barre  in  181S.  He  married  a 
daughter  of  Darius  Preston,  of  Hanover. 
Mrs.  President  Garlield  was  no  relative  of 
his.  Her  great  grandfather  was  Jacob 
Rudolph,  of  Maryland.  Her  grandfather 
was  John  Rudolph, who  removed  from  Mary- 
land to  Ohio  as  early  as  1800.  Her  father 
was  born  in  Ohio,  and  was  alive  there  three 
years  ago,  and  has  no  knowledge  of  any  of 
his  uncles  or  cousins  coming  to  Pennsyl- 
vania. H.  B.  Plumb. 


Slight  Change  i"  Name. 
At  the  March  meeting  of  City  Council  the 

name  of  Carey  town  Road  was  changed  to 
Carey  Avenue.  The  Careys,  for  whom 
the  throughfare  wan  named,  were  pioneers 
in  old  Wyoming  and  their  memory  is  held  in 
high  esteem.  Eleazer  Carey  was  one 
of  the  first  settlers  in  Wyoming  Valley, 
coming  first  in  1760  and  bringing  his  family 
from  Connecticut  three  years  later.  Of  the 
sons,  John  was  a  soldier  in  the  Revolutionary 
Army,  settling  afterwards  below  Wilkes- 
Barre  on  the  river  road,  the  community 
being  known  ever  after  as  Careytown. 
Nathan  was  in  the  battle  of  Wyoming,  but 
escaped.  Benjamin  and  Comfort  were  mere- 
lads  when  the  battle  occurred,  and  afterwards 
they  settled  in  Hanover  Township.  Ben- 
jamin was  the  father  of  ten  children,  of 
whom  Sarah,  who  married  Bateman  Down- 
ing, was  the  mother  of  our  townsman  Reu- 
ben Downing. 


Dr.  H.  Hollister,  of  Providence,  has  a 
serie-»of  interesting  articles  running  in  the 
Saturday  issues  of  the  Scranton  Truth, 
descriptive  of  life  in  the  Lackawanna  Valley 
40  years  ago. 


Loveland  Genealogy. 

George  Loveland.  Esq.,  of  this  city,  ha? 
been  engaged  for  several  years  in  an  inter- 
ested search  for  data  pertaining  to  the  Love- 
land  family.  He  already  has  enough  ma- 
terial to  till  a  good  sized  volume.  The  other 
day  he  received  a  copy  of  the  Rutland,  Ver- 
mont, Record,  dated  Feb.  20,  1887,  giving 
the  following  interesting  reference  to  a  re- 
markably long-lived  family  of  his  kinsfolk: 

A  remarkable  family  gathering  was  held 
last  Friday  afternoon  at  the  residence  of  Mr. 
3.  B.  Loveland,  in  Proctor,  oin  of  our  be*t 
known  inhabitants,  who  has  1  ved  all  his  life 
on  a  farm  here,  which  has  been  in  the  pos- 
session of  his  family  for  almost  a  hundred 
years.  It  was  a  re-union  of  all  the  members 
of  his  family,  with  the  exception  of  two,  who 
found  it  impossible  to  attend.  There  were 
present  Mrs.  Wheeler,  of  Brandon,  age  00 
years;  Mrs.  Goodrich,  of  Brandon,  age 
88  years;  Mrs.  Betsey  Mead,  of 
Rutland  Valley,  age  84  years: 
Mrs.  Ruth  Parmelee,  of  Toledo, 
Ohio,  age  80  years,  Mrs.  Hewitt  of  Bran- 
don, age  75  years,  Mrs.  Bnttertield,  of 
Tenb^idge,  age  72  years,  all  of  them  sisters 
of  Mr.  Loveland  and  widows,  and  besides 
these  Miss  Lozina  Loveland,  age  75  years. 
A.  N.  Loveland  Pittslord,  age  07  years, 
another  sister  and  brother,  and  Mr.  J^ove- 
laud  himself  who  is  70  years  old.  The 
united  a^e  of  these  nine  members  of  the 
family  is  701  years,  to  which  must  be  added 
the  age  of  another  sister  and  brother  not 
present,  100  jears,  making  a  total  of  ?01 
years,  a  record  which  is  hardly,  if  ever,  ex- 
celled. Their  health,  is  in  spite  of"their  ad- 
vanced age,  the  best  and  they  all  have  pre- 
served the  use  of  all  their  faculties  in  a  re- 
markable degree.  AH  of  them  but  one  were 
born  and  brought  up  on  the  old  homestead. 


122 


THE  HISTORICAL  RKCORt). 


An  Autograph  Letter  of  Washington. 

The  Rkcokp  is  permitted  to  reprint  a 
hitherto  unpublished  letter  from  Gen.Geoi  go 
Washington  to  Major  Samuel  Hodgdou. 
Major  Hodgdou  was  Commissary  of  Subsist- 
ence in  the  army  of  the  Revolutionary  war 
and  a  personal  friend  of  Washington.  The 
original  letter  is  in  the  possession  of  Mrs. 
Dr.  Urqnhart,  who  is  a  granddaughter  of 
Major  Hodgdon.  The  letter  was  written  at 
the  close  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  be- 
tween the  sessions  of  Congress,  which  open- 
ed at  Priuceton,  N.  J.,  June  30,  1783  and 
closed  at  Annapolis,  Md.,  Nov.  26,  1783: 

Philadelphia,  13th  Dec.  1783— SiurThe 
Trunk,  and  two  boxes  or  cases  which  you 
brought  from  New  York  for  me,  with  a  few 
other  articles,  which  I  shall  send  to  you  to- 
morrow, 1  would  have  go  by  Land  as  my 
Papers,  and  other  valuable  things  are  con- 
tained in  them. 

The  Boxes  and  other  parcels  which  were 
sent  from  Rockyhill  by  Col.  Morgan,  may 
go  by  water  to  Alexandria,  for  which  place 
a  vessel  (Col.  Biddle  informs  me)  is  just  on 
the  point  of  sailing,  and  will  probably  be 
the  last  lor  that  River,  Potomack.  this  season 
— let  me  intreat  therefore  that  the  opportu- 
nity may  not  be  lost  in  sending  them  by 
her. 

Inclosed  is  40  dollars— 5  more  than  your 
account. — I  am  sir  as 

Mojt  obed.  Servt 
G.  Washington'. 

Sam'l  Hodqdon  Esq. 


Almost  a  Golden  Wedding. 

On  April  2d  occurred  the  45th  anniver- 
sary of  the  weddiug  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Charles 
Morgan.  Mr.  Morgan  is  a  YN  likes-Barrean 
by  continuous  residence  of  over  half  a  cen- 
tury, and  was  married  on  April  2,  1842  by 
Rev.  Mr.  Bristol,  then  pastor  of  the  M.  E. 
church  in  Wilkes-Barre.  A  year  later  he 
entered  the  boot  and  shoe  business,  the  firm 
being  Kline  &  Morgan  until  1847,  when  Mr. 
Morgan  became  sole  proprietor.  The  estab- 
lishment grew  into  large  proportions,  be- 
coming one  of  the  substantial  industries  of 
the  town,  by  reason  of  Mr.  Morgan's  ster- 
ling busiue^s  qualities.  In  1879  its  owner 
and  founder  had  the  satisfaction  of  placing 
the  business  in  the  hands  of  two  of  his  sons 
who  are  now  engaged  as  wholesale  manu- 
facturers with  a  large  factory  on  North  Main 
Street. 

In  1868,  though  still  engaged  in  the  shoe 
business  Mr.  Morgan  established  the  hard- 
ware firm  of  C.  Morgan  A:  Son  on  tho  pre- 
sent location  of  the  People's  Bank.  In 
March  of  last  year  he  severed  his  conection 
with    this    concern    also,  leaving  it  in  the 


hands  of  his  three  other  sons  who 
conduct,  the  business  on  tho  sound 
principles  which  have  made  it  a  per- 
manent success.  Mr.  Morgan  has  now 
laid  aside  the  active  responsibilities  of  busi- 
ness life,  and  has  the  rare  pleasure  of  seeing 
his  live  sons  established  on  their  own  feet  in 
control  of  two  of  the  important  industries 
of  the  town. 

On  Saturday  there  was  a  quiet  family  re- 
union at  the  residence  on  North  Franklin 
Street,  all  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morgan's  child- 
ren being  present.  A  golden  wedding  is  an 
anniversary  of  rare  occurrence  in  Wilkes- 
Barre,  but  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Morgan  have  reason 
to  anticipate  such  a  celebration,  tho  former 
being  73  and  the  latter  04  years  of  age,  both 
being  halo  and  hearty. 


Another  Old    Land  Mark  Going. 

That  historic  old  residence  corner  of 
Franklin  and  Union  Streets,  onco  occupied 
by  Chief  Justice  John  Bannister  Gibson,  is 
now  in  process  of  demolition  to  make  room 
for  the  block  of  six  private  jesidence3  to  oc- 
cupy the  same  lot  extending  from  Union 
street  to  the  old  canal,  now  L.V.  RR.  track. 
This  is  an  old  structure,  so  old  that  perhaps 
no  one  living  here  remembers  when  it  was 
built  or  by  whom;  the  frame  is  yet  staunch 
and  sound,  but  the  style  of  architecture  is 
too  antiquated  for  the  present  generation, 
and  more  than  that,  land  is  too  scare  to  al- 
low a  half  acre  to  each  dwelling  here  in  the 
central  portion  of  the  city. 

The  old  frame  building  adjoining  the 
Leader  office  about  to  be  removed  to  make 
room  for  two  tine  wholesale  stores,  though 
it  may  not  be  considered  as  among  the  ''old 
landmarks,"  is  yet  not  of  very  recent  date. 
It  was  first  used  as  a  public  house  by  Archip- 
pus  Parrish,  after  the  destruction  by  fire  of 
his  former  hotel,  which  stood  on  the  east 
side  of  tho  Public  Square,  about  whore 
Josiah  Lewis'  stores  now  are.  The  old 
tavern  was  burned  on  the  night  of  22d  Feb- 
ruary, abuut  the  year  183.1.  The  sleighing 
was  fine  on  that  day  and  there  was  to  be  a 
Washington's  birth-day  ball  at  night. 
Bright  tires  had  been  kindled  to  warm  up 
some  of  the  upper  rooms  for  the  comfort  of 
expected  guests  during  the  early  evening, 
when  at  about  9  o'clock  a  cry  of  tire  was 
heard  on  the  Public  Square  and  names  were 
seen  shooting  up  through  the  shingles  of  the 
roof,  and  in  half  an  hour  the  old  hostelry 
was  reduced  to  ashes.  The  new  building 
was  used  but  a  short  time  before  Mr. 
Parrish  removed  to  another  hotel,  corner  of 
Public  Square  and  East  Market  Street, 
which  was  also  destroyed  by  tire  many  years 
ago. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


123 


INTERESTING  REMINISCENCES. 


Seventy  Years  Ago  in  W  llket>-Barro — Some 
Early  Buildings— Two  Brothar  Editors 
—Teaching  a.  Blind  Sister  Her  Letters 
with  Wooden  Type. 

A  Record  man  met  Isaao  M.  Thomas  tlie 
other  day.  that  gentleman  remarking  that 
his  mother,  widow  of  Jesse  Thomas,  could 
give  the  desired  information  in  regard  to 
the  old  house  at  the  corner  of  Franklin  and 
Union  Street?,  now  undergoing  demolition 
to  make  room  for  a  handsome  block  of  resi- 
dences. Mrs  Thomas  was  accordingly  call- 
ed on  at  her  home  on  South  Franklin  Street. 
She  remarked  that  the  old  house  was  built 
about  1811  or  181:3,  by  her  father,  Hon. 
Charles  Miner  and  that  she  and  her  brother, 
William  P.  Miner,  founder  of  the  Record  of 
the  Times,  were  born  under  its  roof.  While 
her  father  was  engaged  in  its  erection  he 
occupied  the  house  at  the  corner  of  Uniou 
and  River  Streets,  now'occnpied  by  Dr.  Ing- 
ham.  In  1817  Mr,  Miner  sold  it  to  Judge 
Burnside,  who  was  a  distinguished  jurist. 
the  former  removing  to  West  Chester,  where 
he  established  the  Village  Record. 

All  the  four  corners  except  one,  that  oc- 
cupied many  years  later  by  Hod.  Andrew 
Beaumont's  house,  were  built  upon.  These 
were  older  than  Mr.  Miner's  house  and  the 
one  in  the  southwest  corner  is  still  standing, 
It  was  called  the  Evans  house,  its  owner 
being  quite  a  prominent  man  in  his  day. 
On  the  northeast  corner,  now  the  Stickney 
Block,  was  the  Palmer  house,  known  to  a 
later  generation  as  the  "old  red  house."  The 
Palmer3  afterwards  removed  to  Mt.  Holly. 
and  they  were  a  large  family.  The  Beau- 
mont house  was  built  years  after,  m  t"e 
early  daj  s  of  the  canal  and  was  intended  by 
Mr.  Beaumont  as  a  ware  house  for  canal 
shipping  rather  than  foe  a  dwelling. 

Franklin  Street  ended  at  Union  70  years 
ago.  Above  Union  if  was  called  the  "green 
lane"  and  was  a  favorite  playground  for  our 
parents  and  grandparents  during  the  first 
decade  or  two  of  the  century.  There  were 
no  houses  above  Union  except  that  of  Capt. 
Bowman,  now  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Col.  A. 
H.  Bowman. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  Mrs.  Thomas  spent 
most  of  her  earlier  days  away  from  Wilkes- 
Barre,  she  cannot  tell  who  occupied  the 
Miner  house  sabseqnent  to  Judge  Burnside, 
though  she  recollects  that  Joseph  Le  Clerc 
lived  there  in  1833. 

Mrs.  Thomas  well  remembers  the  conse- 
cration of  the  first  St.  Stephen's  Episcopal 
Church  in  1823,  by  Bishop  White.  It  was  a 
great  event  in  Wilkes-Barre  and  as  Mrs. 
Thomas  had  lived  among  Quaker  influences, 
6he  (then  nine  years  old)  had  never  seen  a 
surpliced  clergyman  be'ore.  She  remembers 
coming  to  visit  Wilkes-Barre  at    that   time 


and  that  a  fellow  traveler  in  the  stage  coach 
over  the  Easton  pike  was  a  gentleman    who 

was  also  coming  to  Wilkes-Barre.  The  lit- 
tle girl  and  her  mother  did  not  know  the 
gentleman,  though  they  were  curious  to,  bo- 
cause  he  was  constant  in  his  kindly  atten- 
tions to  the  child.  What  was  their  surprise 
at  afterwards  seeing  their  fellow-passenger 
a  conspicuous  figure  at  the  church  consecra- 
tion, he  being  a  candidate  for  ordiuatiuu, 
Bishop  White  laying  his  hands  upon  Ids 
head  with  the  bestowal  of  the  apostolic 
blessing.  Rev.  Samuel  Sitgreaves— for  this 
proved  to  V»0  his  name- -served  as  rector  of 
the  parish  for  a  year,  was  fol- 
lowed by  Rev.  Enoch  Huntington 
in  1821.  and  by  Rev.  L>r.  James 
May  in  1827.  Prior  to  the  coming  of  Mr. 
Sitgreaves,  Samuel  Bowman  had  conducted 
lay  services  at  St.  Stephen's  and  he  after- 
wards entered  the  ministry  and  became  an 
assistant  bishop.  Bishop  Bowman  died  in 
1861,  and  his  wife  was  a  sister  of  the  young 
deacon  who  rode  across  the  mountains  with 
little  Miss  Miner  on  that  bright  Juno  day  in 
1823.  The  church,  Mrs.  Thomas  says,  was 
a  low,  frame  building  painted  white,  with  a 
gable  end  to  the  street,  a  flight  of  half  a 
dozen  steps  leading  up  to  a  long  porch.  The 
Presbyterian  Church  was  built  a  little  later 
and  was  similar  to  the  Episcopal  except  that 
irs  pulpit  was  at  the  front  while  that  of  the 
Episcopal  was  at  the  farther  end  trom  the 
entrance. 

Mrs.  Thomas  has  a  host  of  interesting 
reminiscences.  She  remembers  Rev.  Dr. 
May  and  Bishop  Onderdonk  (Episcopal), 
Rev.  Nicholas  Murray  (Presbyterian),  who 
afterwards  gained  considerable  prominence 
as  "Kirwan"  in  his  celebrated  contest  with 
Archbishoo  Hughes,  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church  (1820-33).  It  was  during  Mr.  Mur- 
ray's pastorate  that  the  church,  which  had 
been  partly  Congregational  hitherto,  fully 
adopted  the  Presbyterian  form  of  govern- 
ment. 

Her  description  of  her  father's  printing 
office  and  the  manner  in  which  he  taught  a 
blind  daughter.  Sarah,  to  read,  by  having 
her  learn  ~the  shape  of  large  wooden  job 
typp,  is  interesting  in  the  extreme.  When 
sent  to  au  institution  for  teaching  the  blind 
her  parents  were  informed  that  she  was  the 
first  child  ever  admitted  who  was  able  to 
read.  She  had  a  marvelous  memory  and 
was  afterwards  an  invalurble  assistant  to 
her  father  in  his  arduous  work  of  writing 
the  "History  of  Wyoming,"  she  accompany- 
ing him  on"  his  visits  to  the  old  people, 
listening  closely  to  their  stirring  narratives 
of  pioneer  privations  and  Indian  hostilities, 
and  then  recalling  them  to  her  father  when 
he  returned  home  to  put  his  data   on  paper. 

Charles  Miner  was  born  in  Connecticut]!! 
1780  and  came    to  Wilkes-Barre  in  1709, 


124 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


where  his  brother  Asher  (great  grandfather 
of  the  present  Asher  Miner)  estab 
lished  the  Luzerne  County  Federalist 
in  1801,  in  which  year  the  Wilkes-Barre 
Gazette,  owned  by  Thomas  Wright,  ceased 
publication.  Asher  Miner  married  the  only 
daughter  of  Thomas  Wright  and  Charles 
married  ins  grand- daughter,  Letitfa,  daugh- 
ter of  Joseph  Wright,  who  had  edited  his 
father's  paper.  In  1802  the  two  Miners 
formed  a  partnership,  which  continued  two 
years,  at  which  time  Asher  moved  to  Doyles- 
town.  In  1807  Charles  was  elected  to  the 
Pennsylvania  Legislature  and  was  re-elected 
the  following  year.  In  1810  he  sold  the 
Federalist,  to  his  two  apprentices,  Steuben 
Butler  and  Sidney  Tracy.  He  resumed  the 
oiiice  in  1811,  but  in  1816  sold  to  Isaac  A. 
Chapman  and  located  in  West  Chester  1817. 
In  1824  he  was  elected  to  Congress  and  was 
re-elected  two  years  later.  In  July  1825  he 
was  re-joined  by  las  brother  Asher  and  they 
published  the  Village  Record  until  its  sale 
by  them  in  1834.  it  is  still  hale  and  hearty. 
Charles  returned  to  Wyoming  Valley  in 
1832,  Asher  following  in  183-1  and  they 
ended  their  lives  on  adjoining  farms  near 
WiJkes-Barre,  now  Mu.er's  Mills.  His  "His- 
towy  of  Wyoming,"  was  published  in  1845 
and  is  the  standard  work  on  that  subject. 
His  death  occurred  in  1805  at  the  ripe  age  of 
85.  Asher,  who  was  the  grand  father  of  Hon: 
Charles  A.  Miner,  died  in  1840. 


Death  of  a  Young    Lawyer. 

Catarrhal  pneumonia  of  a  week's  dura- 
tion blotted  out  a  promising  young  life  on 
Friday,  April  1,  that  of  James  Buchanan 
Shaver,  Esq..  of  Plymouth,  one  of  the 
youngest  members  of  the  Luzerne  Bar.  He 
was  born  in  Dallas,  Jan.  24,  1859,  and  was 
a  son  of  Andrew  Jackson  Shaver,  and  a 
grandson  of  William  Shaver,  of  Dallas.  The 
family  have  resided  in  o^  near  Wyoming 
Valley  since  1796.  Deceased  moved  to  Ply- 
mouth when  a  mere  lad,  soon  after  his 
father's  death  at  Dallas.  Ho  was  a  faithful 
and  diligent  student  and  was  graduated 
with  honors  from  Wesleyan  University  in 
the  class  of  1881,  when  22  years  of  age. 
After  graduating  he  returned  to  Plymouth 
and  taught  in  the  public  schools  for  three 
years,  lib  registered  as  a  law  student  with 
J.  A.  Opp.,  Esq.,  and  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  of  Luzerue  County  hist  June,  after  a 
highly  creditable  examination.  He  subse- 
quently opened  offices  in  Plymouth  and 
Wilkes-Barrc  and  the  trial  of  the  cases  upon 
which  he  was  engaged  in  his  very  brief  prac- 
tice stamped  him  as  a  lawyer  who  would  have 
adorned  his  profession    had    his    life    been 


spared.  Ho  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Church  and  an  efficient  teacher  in 
the  Sunday  school.  He  was  a  brother  of  Dr. 
Wm.  Davenport  Shafer  and  a  cousin  of  Dr. 
Harry  L.  Whitney  and  the  Davenport  Broth- 
ers of  Plymouth. 

It  is  said  that  since  the  illness  of  Prof. 
Howland,  of  the  Wyoming  Seminary,  he  had 
been  invited  to  fill  his  position  during  that 
illness,  and  would  have  accepted  had  he  not 
himself  fallen  a  victim  to  the  same  disease. 

The  funeral  took  place  Monday  at  11 
o'clock  from  his  late  homo.  Interment  in 
Plymouth. 

On  Saturday  tho  Luzerno  bar  held  a  meet- 
ing to  take  action  upon  its  bereavement,  and 
George  B.  Kulp,  esq.,  was  made  chairman 
and  Charles  E.  Keck,  secretary.  The  fol- 
lowing persons  wore  appointed  a  Committee 
on  Resolutions  :  A.  C.  Campbell,  A.  L.  Wil- 
liams, P.  A.  O'Boyle,  P.  A.  Meixell,  D.  A. 
Fell,  jr.,  J.  Q.  Groveling  and  J.  A.  Opp,  who 
reported  as  tollows  : 

The  bar  of  Luzerne  County  condole  with 
tho  family  and  kindred  of  James  Buchanan 
Shaver,  and  desire  to  express  their  appre- 
ciation of  the  loss  which  his  unex- 
pected death  has  brought  to  them. 
His  life  has  come  to  an  untimely  close. 
His  career  lias  ended.  His  life's  work 
was  but  begun.  Tho  future  to  him  was 
full  of  hope  and  promise.  His  life  was  one 
of  labor  and  assiduity,  and  his  career  worthy 
of  emulation  by  all  young  men  who  aim  at 
eminence  in  the  profession  to  which  he  be- 
longed. He  was  a  Christian  gentleman  in 
all  his  actions  and  dealings  with  his  fellow 
man.  As  a  member  of  the  bar  he  rejoiced  in 
the  moral  triumphs  of  justice,  and  was  a 
sincere  and  conscientious  advocate  in  all 
that  those  terms  imply.    Therofore,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  the  members  of  the  legal 
profession  of  this  county,  and  particularly 
the  younger  members  of  the  bar,  who  have 
enjoyed  closer  intercourse  with  the  deceased, 
have  lost  a  warm,  faithful,  personal  friend, 
and  the  bar  in  general  lias  been  deprived  of 
one  who  added  to  its  character  more  than 
ordinary  virtues. 

And  we  hereby  extend  to  the  family,  and 
especially  to  the  widowed  mother  of  the  de- 
ceased that  sympathy  which  may  in  some 
small  degree  sustain  them  in  the  hour  of 
their  sad  afiliction. 

The  verdict  of  his  colleagues  is  that, 
though  j  oung,  James  Buchanan  Shaver  has 
not  lived  in  vain. 

That  these  resolutions  be  engrossed  and 
presented  to  the  mother  of  the  deceased,  and 
that  a  copy  be  furnished  the  newspaper^  for 
publication,  and  that  the  court  be  requested 
to  direct  the  same  to  be  spread  upon  the 
records. 


.... 


The     Istorical  Record 


A   MONTHLY    PUBLICATION 


DEVOTED    PRINCIPALLY   TO 


TEbc  iSarl^  Ibistovv  of  TO\>omino  Dalle\> 

AND  CONTIGUOUS  TERRITORY 

WITH 

NOTES  AND  QUERIES 

Biographical,  Antiquarian,  Genealogical 

O 

EDITED  BY  F.  C.  JOHNSON,  M.  D. 

Vol.   i]  April  1887  [No.  8. 


WILKES-BARREi  PA. 

press  of  t'be  TOilftes*36arre  IRecovo 

MDCCCLXXXVII 


The  Historical  Record. 


Contents.  page 

Peter  Pence,  a  Brave  Frontier  Ranger,  C.  F.  Hill 

An  April  Storm,  and  other  Unseasonable  Storms 127- 

Old  Time  Railroading 

Poem  on  Wyoming  Monument,  Mrs.  Lydia  //.  Sigourney 

Reminiscences  of  Old  Wilkes-Barre,  Dillon  Yaringlon 

Postage  Fifty  Years  Ago 

Some  old-time  Accounts,  //.  B.  Plumb 

An  Aged  Odd  Fellow 

Major  W.  P.  Elliott  dead 

A  Labor  Trouble  60  years  ago —  . 

Prices  of  Wheat  for  70  years 

Etymology  of  "Susquehanna" 

Rev.  I.  H.  Torrence  as  a  Bible  Society  A  gent 

Sullivan  Expedition  Journals  to  be  Published 

Rout  of  the  Six  Nations   .    .  -    . . 

Old  Time  Dancing  Masters,  Caleb  E.   Wright 

Wyoming  Historical  and  Geological  Socii  ty,  May  Meeting 

Notes— 

Hon.  Samuel  D.  Ingham . 

Indian  Relics  Found . 

Capt.  John  Fries,  of  Bucks. -....„ 

Jones  Family  of  Bethlehem , 

Meteoric  Shower  of  1  S3 3 

A  Wildcat  Reminiscence , 

W.  S.  Wells'  Golden   Wedding . 

Wilkes-Barre  in   1S27 

History  of  the  Mennonites 

Judge  Dyer's  Bad  Writing „ 

West  Branch  Magazine 

An  instance  of  Indian  Prohibition 

The  Levan  Letter : 

Zeisbergcr  Preaching  to  the  Indians 

The  only  Revolutionary  Pensioner  in  Pennsylvania „, 

Will  of  Mrs.  E.  L.  Ost'erhout ' 

Mixed  as  to  the  Merediths 

The  Pioneer  Marcv  Family 

Adoption  of  the  P"ederal  Constitution,  Volume  on 

Deaths— 

Mrs.  Isaac  Livingston „ « 

Charles  Sturdevant 

Mrs.  Ann  Perry 

Miss  Matilda  Ann  Adams 

Mrs.  Hugh    MeGroarty .- 

Etias  Robins 

Edward  Enterline. 

Capt.  John  Dennis 

Bernard  Frauenthal   

Miss  Ellen  Cist  Rutter 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Lee  Osterhout 

Alexander    H.  Dana 

George   Gregory 

John  W.  Levari  — 

Mrs.  Elizabeth    Munson 

Mrs.  Rebecca  Metzger  Hooper. 

Mrs.  Esther  McCarty 

Mrs.  Julia    A.  Brown 


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Vol.   1. 


APRIL,   1S87. 


No.  8. 


A  BRAVE  FRONTIER  HANGER. 


Sketch  of  Peter  Pence,  Who  Fought  in 
the  Revolutionary  War  and  was  After- 
wards an  Indian  Fighter  on  the  Sus- 
quehanna—Some  of  His  Adventures. 

Peter  Pence,  whose  name  has  so  often 
been  read  in  connection  with  that  of  Moses 
Van  Campen,  was  a  German,  or  rather  a 
Pennsylvania  Dutchman,  of  tho  days  of 
seventy-six.  It  is  believed  that  his  proper 
name  was  Peter  Bentz,  which  name  at  that 
time  was  frequently  •  met  in  Lancaster 
County  and  that  he  came  from  there  to  Sha- 
mokiu,  and  that  it  was  changed  to  Pence,  by 
the  well  known  aptitude  of  the  Pennsylvania 
Dutchman  to  cross  ihe  sounds  of  the  letters 
b  and  p  when  speaking  English,  that  in  this 
way  his  name  was  written  Pence. 

In  one  of  the  Wyoming  histories,  in  relat- 
ing his  and  Moses  Van  Campen 's  adven- 
tures during  a  captivity  with  the  Indians, 
Pence  is  described  as  a  young  boy.  This  is 
a  mistake,  as  Peter  was  not  only  a  man,  bat 
a  very  numerous  one,  both  on  the  North  and 
West  Branches  of  the  Susquehanna,  as  an 
Indian  fighter  and  scout,  or,  as  they  were 
called  in  those  days,  a  ranger.  The  first 
record  we  have  of  him  is  that 
in  June,  1775,  he  enlisted  in 
Captain  John  Lowdon's  company, 
First  Rifle  Regiment,  commanded  by  Col. 
William  Thompson.  This  company  camped 
at  Sunbury,  thence  marched  to  Reading  and 
Easton;  thence  through  the  northern  part 
of  the  State  of  New  Jersey,  and  crossed  the 
Hudson  River  at  New  Windsor,  a  few  miles 
northwest  of  West  Point:  thence  through 
Hartford  to  Can: bridge,  where  it  arrived 
about  the  8th  of  August.  Pence's  company 
was  now  fairly  to  the  front  and  he  had  an 
opportunity  of  seeing  the  British  troops 
whose  batteries  frowned  down  upon  him 
trom  Bunker,  Breed  and  Copp's  hills,  as 
also  from  their  war  ships  in  the  harbor. 
The  men  of  the  regiment  to  which  Pence 
belonged  were  thus  described  at  the  time  in 
Thacher's  Military  Journal: 

"Several  companies  of  riflemen  have  ar- 
rived here  from  Pennsylvania  and  Mary- 
land, a  distance  of  from  five  hundred  to 
seven  hundred  miles.  They  are  remarkably 
stout  and  hardy  men,  many  of  them  exceed- 
ing six  feet  in  height.  They  are  dressed  in 
rifle  shirts  and  round  hats.  These  men  are 
remarkable  for  the  accuracy  of  their  aim, 


striking  a  mark  with  great  certainty  at  two 
hundred  yards'  distance.  At  a  review  of  a 
company  of  them,  while  on  a  quick 
advance  they  fired  their  balls  into  objects  of 
seven  inch  diameter,  at  a  distance  of  250 
yards.  They  are  now  stationed  on  our  lines, 
and  their  shot  have  frequently  proved  fatal 
to  British  officers  and  and  soldiers." 

If  this  is  a  fair  picture  of  the  kind  of  boy 
Pence  was  in  1775  then  he  should  have  been 
something  more  than  a  boy,  when  in  the 
month  of  April,  1780,  lie,  Van  Campen  and 
Pike,  with  the  two  boys,  Jonah  Rogers  aud 
the  boy  Van  Campen,  Moses'  little  nephew, 
rose  on  their  captors,  near  Tioga  Point,  and 
slew  a  portion  of  them,  routed  the  re- 
mainder and  captured  all  their  guns  and 
blankets.  After  which  they  made  their  way 
down  the  North  Branch  of  the  Susquehanna 
River,  part  of  the  way  on  foot  and  part  on  a 
raft,  reaching  Wyoming  on  the  -1th  day  of 
April,  1780. 

Here  Pike  and  the  boy,  Jonah  Rogers,  left 
the  party,  as  they  were  now  near  their 
homes.  On  the  evening  of  the  5th  Pence, 
Van  Campen  and  his  little  nephew  again 
took  the  river  in  a  canoe  and  traveled  all 
night,  as  at  that  time  the  Indians  were  on 
the  river  below  Wyoming  in  force.  They 
reached  Fort  Jenkins  [now  Briar  Creek, 
Columbia  County,]  on  the  morning  of 
the  6th  of  April,  where  they  met  Col. 
Kelly,  with  one  hundred  anen,  who  had  come 
across  from  the  West  Branch.  Here  it  was 
that  Moses  VanCampen  first  met  his  mother 
and  her  younger  children.  who  had 
escaped  the  massacre  in  which  his  father, 
brother  and  uncle  met  their  fate 
just  a  week  before.  She  had  sup- 
posed him  a  victim  of  the  slaughter.  The 
next  day  Pence  and  VanCampen  left  Fort 
Jenkies  in  their  canoes,  and  reached  Fort 
Augusta,  at  Sunbury,  where  they  were  re- 
ceived in  a  regular  frontier  triumph.  On 
the  9th  following,  Lieut.-Col.  Lndwig  Wott- 
ner  writes  from  Northumberland  to  the  Board 
of  War,stating  that  he  encloses  a  deposition, 
or  rather  a  copy  of  it,  of  one  Peter  Bens, 
who  was  lately  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians 
on  the  20th  of  March  last,  and  happily  made 
his  escape  with  three  more  of  his  fellow  suf- 
ferers. Everj  effort  has  been  made  to  dis- 
cover this  deposition  or  a  copy  of  it.  but 
without  success.  The  statement  of  Moses 
VanCampen  as  to  this  particular  event  must 
therefore  forever  stand  alone. 


lf>6 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


The  next  exploit  in  which  we  find  Pence 
engaged  is  in  the.  year  1781,  when  the  Stock 
family  were  murdered  by  the  Indians 
about  two  miles  west  from  Selius- 
grove.  It  was  a  most  foul  and 
brutal  mnrder.  The  neighborhood 
and  three  experienced  Indian  fighter*,  Pence, 
Grove  and  Stroh,  went  in  pursuit  of  the 
enemy.  The  speed  with  which  the  Indians 
traveled  and  the  care  required  to  keen  on 
their  trail  and  avoid  an  ambuscade,  pre- 
vented the  white  men  from  overtaking  them 
until  they  had  got  into  the  State  of  New 
York,  somewhere  on  the  headwaters  of  the 
North  Branch,  where  they  found  the  party 
encamped  for  the  night  on  the  side  of  a  hill 
covered  with  fern.  There  the  Indians 
fancied  themselves  safe.  The  distance  they 
had  traveled  in  safety  warranted  them  in  be- 
lieving that  they  had  not  been  pursued  and 
they  therefore  kept  no  watch.  Grove,  leav- 
ing his  gun  at  the  foot  of  the  hill,  crept  ud 
through  the  ferns  and  observed  that  all  their 
rifles  were  piled  around  a  tree  and  that  all 
but  three  or  four  were  asleep.  One  of  them, 
a  large  and  powerful  man.  was  narrating  in 
high  good  humor,  and  with  much  impressive 
"gesticulation,  the  attack  on  Stock's  family 
and  described  the  mauney  in  which  Mis. 
Stock  defended  herself.  Grove  lay 
quiet  until  the  auditors  fell  asleep, 
and  the  orator,  throwing  his  blanket  over 
his  head  slept  also.  He  then  returneo  to  his 
comrades,  Pence  and  Stroh,  informed  them 
of  what  he  had  seen,  and  concerted  the  plan 
of  attack,  which  was  put  in  execution  as 
soon  as  they  thought  the  orator  and  his 
hearers  fast  asleep.  They  ascended  the  hill. 
Grove  plied  the  tomahawk,  while  Pence  and 
Stroh  took  possession  of  the  rifles  and  fired 
among  the  sleepers.  One  of  the  first  to 
awake  was  the  orator,  whom  Grove  dispatch- 
ed with  a  single  blow  as  he  threw  the  blanket 
from  his  head  and  arose.  How  many  they 
killed  I  do  not  know,  but  they  brought  home 
a  number  of  scalps.  The  Indians,  thinking 
they  were  attacked  by  a  large  party,  iled  in 
all  directions  and  abandoned  everv  thing.  A 
white  boy  about  15  years  of  ase,  whom  they 
had  carried  off,  was  rescued  and  brought 
back.  The  survivors  having  fled,  they  .se- 
lected the  best  of  the  rifles,  as  many  as  they 
could  conveniently  carry,  destroyed  the  re- 
mainder, and  made  ther  way  to  the  Susque- 
hanna, where  they  constructed  a  raft  of  logs 
and  embarked.  The  river  was  so  low  that 
their  descent  was  both  tedious  and 
slow,  and  their  raft  uu  fortunate- 
ly striking  a  rock  at  Nanticoke 
Falls  went  to  pieces,  and  they  lost  all  their 
rifles  and  plunder.  From  that  place  they  re- 
turned to  Northumberland  on  foot,  and  ar- 
rived there  in  safety. 

Meginness  in    his    "O'zinachson,"    after 
speaking  of  Michael  Grove    as    the    Indian 


killer,  says,  "There  was  another  remarkable 
hunter  and  Indian  killer  in  this  valley 
named  Peter  Pence,  of  whom  many  wonder- 
ful stones  are  related.  He  is  described  by 
those  who  remember,  as  being  a  savage 
looking  customer,  and  always  went  armed 
with  his  rifle,  tomahawk  and  knife  even 
jears  alter  peace  was  made.  It  is  said  that 
an  account  of  his  life  was  published  some 
thirty  j  tars  ago,  and  is  remembered  by 
some,  but  the  most  careful  research  has 
failed  to  develop  it." 

That  Pence  was  not  a  boy,  but  a  brave 
soldier  of  the  Revolutionary  War  and  served 
out  a  term,  during  which  he  bravely  faced 
the  cannon  shot  and  shell  of  the  British  at 
Bunker  Hill,  and  returned  home  to  do  duty 
on  the  Susquehanna  frontier  against  the  In- 
dians and  was  captured  and  escaped  with 
Moses  VanCampen  almost  four  years  after 
an  honorable  discharge  from  the  Continental 
service,  must  be  conceded. 

On  the  10th  of  March,  1810,  the  Legisla- 
ture of  Pennsylvania  parsed  an  act  grant- 
ing an  annuity  to  Peter  Pence,  in  consider- 
ation of  his  services,  of  forty  dollars  per  an- 
num, which  was  to  be  paid  annually  in  trust 
to  John  Forster  of  Lycoming  County,  and 
requiring  the  said  John  Forster  anDnally  to 
report  to  the  Orphans'  Court  of  Lycoming 
County,  on  oath  or  affirmation  how  or  in 
what  manner  he  executed  the  said  trust  in 
him  confided.  Peter  Pence,  it  is  said,  died 
in  Crawford  Township,  Clinton  County,  iu 
the  year  1829  and  left  a  son  named  John. 
It  would  be  very  interesting  to  know  at  ibis 
late  day,  what  evidence  *as  filed  at  Harris- 
burg  in  support  of  the  passage  of  the  act 
granting  the  annuity.  And  also  what  report 
was  made  to  the  Orphans'  Court  by  his 
trustee.  And  how.  when  and  where  he  died 
and  was  buried.  And  who,  if  any  of  his  liv- 
ing di-cendants  are.  C.  F.  Hill. 

Hazleton,  April  15,  1SS7. 


The  Doylestown  Democrat  of  March  8 
contains  the  paper  on  Eon.  Samuel  D.  Ing- 
ham, read  before  thp  Bucks  County  Histori- 
cal Society  by  Rev.  D.  K.  Turrer.  Mr.  Ing- 
ham was  the  most  illustrious  citizen  who 
ever  lived  in  Bucks  County,  unless  Nicholas 
Biddle,  who  lived  at  the  same  time  and 
participated  in  the  same  events  of  the  Jack- 
sonian  era,  is  regarded  as  a  rival.  Ingham, 
it  will  be  remembered  by  the  student  of 
political  frstory  of  the  country,  was  the 
Secretary  of  the  Treasury  during  old  Hick- 
orvs  administration,  and  with  other  mem- 
bers of  the  Cabinet  dissolved  their  (  flicial 
relations  of  the  administration  on  account 
of  the  Mrs.  Faton  tronbles.  The  paper  is 
a  valuable  contribution,  and  will  rescue 
from  oblivion  many  of  the  incidents  of  Ing- 
ham's career. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


127 


AN  AI'KLJL  SNOW  STUltAI. 

Ono     Which     Old    Probabilities    was     not 

Looking  for    Tin-  Heaviest  April  Snow 
Fall  in  30  Years. 

People  who  had  begun  to  make  garden 
unci  who  thought  spring  had  conic  wore  sur- 
prised to  witness  a  heavy  snow  ft-rm  April 
18.  It  began  in  the  silent  hours  ot  the 
early  morning,  continued  about  seven  or 
eight  hours,  and  by  noon  had  laid  a  beauti- 
ful c-.tr pet  of  as  many  inches  deep  over  the 
entire  landscape.  It  lacked  only  a  depres- 
sion of  temperature  to  be  a  genuine  winter 
day.  The  thermometer  was  not  as  low  as 
the  freezing  point.  Pedestrians  found  the 
walking  most  difficult  in  the  deep  snow,  while 
the  roads  speedily  became  muddy.  The 
storm  was  haruly  so  severe  as  a  noteworthy 
predecessor  of  30  years  ago,  but  it  was 
phenomenal  at  this  season  of  the  year.  The 
jingle  ot  sleigh  bells  was-  heard  for  the  tirst 
tune  in  many  weeks  and  there  was  fully 
seven  or  eight  inches  of  snow  on  a  level  in 
the  city.  Outlying  towns  and  hamlets  report 
about  a  foot  of  snow  on  the  level,  at  Laurel 
Run  there  being  between  11  and  12  inches 
and  at  Lehman  Centre  the  same.  The  storm 
began  at  about  5:30  am.  and  ceased  lor 
several  hours  about  noon.  At  sundown  it 
resumed,  and  continued  until  about  mid- 
night. 

The  storm  on  Saturday  was  central  at 
Salt  Lake  City  but  crossed  the  Rooky  Moun- 
tains and  was  central  Monday  morning  in 
Louisville,  Ky.  All  east  of  the  Mississippi 
River  was  on  Monday  under  the  influence 
of  the  storm,  which  caused  heavy  rains  at 
Louisville,  Cincinnati,  Nashville,  Pittsburg. 
Knoxville  and  Indianapolis  and  lighter  rains 
both  east  and  west  of  these  poiuts,  from 
Kansas  to  the  Atlantic.  In  New  York  city 
it  caused  the  fall  of  considerable  snow. 
Snow  also  fell  along  the  New  England  coast 
and  in  the  lake  region,  but  elsewhere  the 
rain  fall  prevailed  as  far  south  as  northern 
Georgia  and  Mississippi.  Throughout 
Central  New  York  and  Pennsylvania  from 
two  to  ten  inches  of  snow  is  reported. 

All  the  old  settlers  called  to  mind  a  simi- 
larly late  April  storm  in  1857.  James  D. 
Laird  was  the  first  to  fix  the  date,  he  finding 
a  memorandum  on  his  day  booK  for  April 
20.  1857.  He  says  the  snow  was  up  to  the 
window  sills  of  his  Market  Street  shop,  fully 
two  feet  deep. 

Alderman  Parsons,  Richard  Sharpe,  'Wes- 
ley Johnson,  J.  M.  Nicholson  and  Charles 
Morgan,  all  had  incidents  to  recall.  The 
latter  was  on  Loug  Island  Souud  on  a 
steamer  en  route  from  New  London  to  New 
York.  The  reckoning  had  become  lo-i;  and 
the  vessel  had  a  difficult   time   making  port. 

Alderman  Johnson  recalled  the  crushing 
n  of  Mr.  Betterly's  kitchen,  which    stood 


about  whore  Morgan's  shoo  factory  now 
stands.  Mr.  Betterly  was  the  father  of  the 
present  Dr.  Betterly. 

Alderman  Parsons  had  a  very  vivid  rocol- 
lection  of  the  occurrence  as  his  first  wife 
was  dying.  He  went  to  Pursel  it  Simon's 
livery  lor  a  rig  with  which  to  take  a  nurse 
home.  The  stable  was  crushed.  Mr.  Par- 
sons says  the  snow  remaining  at  the  end  of 
the  storm  was  11  inches. 

Hon.  L.  J).  Shoemaker's  recollection  of 
the  depth  ot  the  show  was  about  a  foot. 

Ticket  Agent  Nicholson  says  the  D.  L.  & 
W.  trains  \esterday  did  not  suffer  so. badly 
this  time  as  in  April,  1857,  the  snow  fall  on 
Pocono  being  only  fivo  inches,  while  in  1857 
it  was  as  many  feet. 

E.  H.  Chase,  E-q.,  recalls  the  storm  as  it 
affected  the  courts.  The  drifts  were  so  bad, 
and  the  storm  so  heavy  throughout  the 
county,  that  court  which  had  assembled,  as 
it  did  Monday,  for  the  spring  term,  was 
compelled  to  adjourn  because  of  the  absence 
of  jurors.  Stiles  Williams,  of  Bear  Creek, 
for  a  long  time  proprietor  of  the  Prospect 
House  on  the  Wilkes-Barre  mountain, 
created  a  sensation  by  bringing  in  several 
jurymen  from  Bear  Creek  township  and 
neighborhood,  the  party  being  pulled  by 
four  horses,  with  five  outriders  going  on 
ahead  to  break  the  road.  Mr.  Chase  was 
drawn  as  talesman  in  the  same  court,  but 
was  rejected  as  not  having  been  a  resident 
of  the  county  for  a  sufficient  length  of  time. 

The  Rkcord  of  the  Times  for  April  22, 
1857,  contains  several  references  to  the 
storm  of  that  year,  the  date  being  April  20: 

"The  storm  of  Sunday  night  and  Monday 
was  more  disagreeable  than  anything  we  re- 
collect for  years.  Heaviest  snow  fall  of  the 
winter.  The  roof  of  the  large  shed  at  the 
livery  stable  of  Pursel  it  Simons  was  broken 
down  and  several  carriage  tops  crushed. 
Telegraph  poles  on  Market  and  Main  Streets 
broke  down  and  tangled  the  wires  in  the 
street.  A  building  ou  Main  Street,  occupied 
by  Mr.  Betterly  was  broken  in  and  his 
daughter  slightly  injured.  The  falliug  mass 
rested  on  the  table  where  she  was  eating, 
otherwise  she  would  have  been  crushed  to 
death.  Mr.  Totten's  stable  on  Washington 
Street  was  crashed,  also  the  long  rope  walk 
on  the  canal." 

'•The  storm  has  interfered  with  our  office 
work  and  we  have  been  compelled  to  call  in 
extra  assistance  in  the  way  of  steam  for  the 
power  press." 

"The  weather  for  past  week  severe  as  No- 
vember. Wednesday  like  winter.  Saturday 
soring  like,  but  only  a  weather  breeder. 
Sunday  raw,  East  wind,  snow  commenced 
atternoon,  continuing  nearly  all  Monday  and 
part  of  Tuesday.  We  had  a  sled  ride  on 
Tuesday.  Eighteen  inches  must  have  fallen. 
The    Lackawanua   it    Western    trains  were 


128 


THE  HISTORICAL  IIKCOUD. 


stopped  on  Monday.  Snow  reported  several 
feet  deep  in  places." 

'•The  snow  blocked  up  the  road  on  the 
Kingston  mountain  so  that  it  was  impossi- 
ble to  get  the  mails  through  to  Northmore- 
land.  The  mail  carrier  reports  from  five  to 
six  feel  of  unbroken  snow.  The  team  was 
stuck  fast  and  men  had  to  be  employed  to 
shovel  them  out,  after  which  further  progress 
was  given  up." 

A  similar  storm  was  reported  from  Potts- 
ville  anjj  Reading. 

The  same  paper  records  late  storms  in 
previous  years.  May  2,  1811,  the  week  past 
been  almost  oue  continued  storm — cold, 
snow,  wet.  April  '20,  1843,  last  snow  of 
winter  disappeared.  June  1,  1843,  sharp 
frost  killed  beans  and  apple  crop.  Other 
crops  not  injured.  The  editor  remarks: 
"So  there  is  hope.  Seed  time  and  harvest 
shall  not  fail,, though  our  variable  climate 
continue  variable.  And  spring,  all  smiles, 
all  tears,  remains  the  battle  ground  between 
winter  and  summer  for  the  mastery." 

OLD    TIM  IS     KAILROAUING. 


Ex-Supt.  Bound's  Experience  on  the 
Pocono  iu  the  Heavy  Snow  Storm  ot 
April,  1857— The  Locomotives  Nearly 
Buried. 

The  Recokd  has  already  reported  Ticket 
Agent  J.  M.  Nicholson  as  saying  the  snow 
was  6  feet  deep  on  the  Pocono  Mountain  in 
April  storm  30  years  ago.  Mr.  Nicholson, 
feeling  that  his  story  was  received  with  a 
little  discredit  wrote  to  Ex-Supt.  Bound  of 
the  L.  &  B.  RE.,  who  was  on  the  Pocono  at 
the  time  and  whose  reply  will  be  read  with 
genoral  interest: 

April  10— J.  M.  Nicholson,  Kingston — 
Dear  Sir:  In  April  1857,  I  was  conductor  of 
coal  train,  on  Southern  Division.  D.  L.  <fc  W. 
RR.  At  about  4  am.  on  April  20,  1857,  I 
left  Scranton  for  New  Hampton  Junction, 
with  engine  Vermont,  (camel-back,)  and 
David  Hippenhamer  engineer.  We  started 
with  our  usual  train.  (22  small  cars,)  but 
the  snow  being  about  eight  inches  deep  and 
very  heavy,  we  were  compelled  to  back  down 
and  switch  six  cars.  At  Greenville  we 
switched  ten  more;  at  Moscow  we  switched 
the  remainder  of  our  cars,  and  went  on 
with  engine  and  caboose.  Were  stalled 
several  tunes  between  Moscow  and  Lehigh. 
In  1857  the  Pocono  Tunnel  was  not  com- 
pleted, and  we  ran  around  it,  and  over  short 
trestle.  At  east  end  of  this  trestle  we  found 
Puterbaugh,  conductor.  Mark  Barnwell,  en- 
gineer, with  engine  "Susquehanna''  off  the 
track.  Puterbaugh  had  left  Scranton  a  few 
moments  ahead  of  us  with  a  freight  train, 
and  I  think  had  switched  nearly  or  quite  all 
of  his  cars  before  leaving  Moscow.    If  I  re- 


member aright  it  was  about  8  am.,  when  we 
overtook  Puterbaugh,  and  it  took  us  until 
8  pm.  to  get  the  "Susquehanna"  off  t ho 
track,  and  by  this  time  the  snow  was  up  to 
my  armpits  on  the  level.  You  do  not  ex- 
aggerate when  you  say  the  snow  was  live 
feet  deep  on  level  at  Pocono  in  April  1857. 
I  was  there.  After  we  got  engine  on  track, 
we  coupled  the  two  engines  together,  got  up 
full  head  of  steam,  and  took  a  run  over  the 
embankment  near  Paradise  water  tank, 
(wind  had  blown  snow  off  this  bank,;  for 
Paradise  switch,  and  if  ever  engine  did  their 
duty,  this  was  the  time.  We  just  cleared 
main  track,  when  we  stalled,  and  we  were 
happy,  for  we  had  expected  to  stall  before 
clearing  mam  track.  And  think  of  flagmen 
standing  out  in  that  storm  for  two  days  and 
two  nights.  On  Paradise  switch  we  found 
Gurnsey,  conductor,  Jim  Harvey,  engineer, 
with  engine  "Niagara"  attached  to  west 
bound  freight.  We  all  (three  crews)  went 
to  section  house  (Barlow's)  and  got  our  sup- 
pers. Next  morning  we  got  our  breakfast 
at  same  place  and  ate  up  all  they  had  ex- 
cept enough  to  last  his  family  for  two  days. 
I  took  Gurnsey's  way  bills,  looked  them 
over  and  found  car  containing  a  barrel  of 
crackers  and  a  box  of  cheese,  we  were  all 
right  now  for  grub;  but  when  could  we  get 
from  Paradise  to  Scranton,  was  the  ques- 
tion. 

On  April  22,  at  about  i  pm.,  we  were 
made  happy  by  the  arrival  of  a  passenger 
train  from  the  west.  Supt.  Brisbin  was  on 
it  and  stated  to  us  that  he,  with  all  the  men 
and  engiues  at  his  command,  had  been 
working  since  morning  of  20th  ta  get  pas- 
senger train  from  Scranton  over  Pocono,  and 
said  to  us,  "Boys,  the  snow  is  very  deep  in 
cut  west  of  Tobyhauna.  It  is  to  tops  of  pas- 
senger cars:  you  can  go  to  Scranton  to-night 
if  you  think  you  can  get  your  engines  there 
safe.  I  would  prefer  you  would  wait  until 
morning."  And  his  train  started  for  New- 
hampton  Junction.  Soon  after  we  held 
council  of  war  and  concluded  to  go  to 
Scranton  that  night,  which  we  did,  arriving 
there  about  9  pm.  all  right.  I  should  have 
added  that  when  we  stalled  in  Paradise 
switch  the  snow  was  level  with  the  head  light 
on  the  "Susquehanna"  and  the  foot  boards 
alongside  of  "Vermont's"  boiler.  We  had 
no  injectors  at  that  timo  and  pumped  water 
into  our  engines  by  slipping  the  drivers:  this 
was  the  only  way  we  could  keep  them  alive, 
as  they  could  not  be  moved  until  we 
shoveled  them  out  on  22nd. 

David  T.  Bound. 


April    Thirty-three    Years    Ago. 

[  Williamsport  Gazette  and  Bulletin. 1 
The  following  is  an  extract  from  John  A. 
Otto's  diary   iu    1854,   Mr.  Otto  residing  at 
that  time  in  Schuylkill  County:  "April  1-lth, 


THE  HIS20RICAL  RECORD. 


120 


(iood  Friday— enow  storm;  April  loth,  rain 
and  snow;  16th,  Easter,  very  cold;  17th, 
snow  fifteen  inches  deep;  found  a  half  bushel 
dead  birds  in  an  old  furnace  stack." 


Another  Spi  'mux  Snow  Storm. 
Editoe  Record:  Ah  our  snow  storm  of 
April  18  ha?  coiled  forth  numerous  reminis- 
cences concerning  lato  spring  snows  from 
some  of  the  "oldest  inhabitants,"  permit 
me  to  mention  one  of  an  earlier  date  and  of 
still  more  untimely  occurrence.  1  think  it 
was  in  the  year  1833,  or  perhaps  in  1834.  I 
was  then  a  small  boy,  and  we.  that  is  myself 
and  one  or  two  more  of  my  brothers,  were 
at  work  on  the  old  home  farm  at  Laurel 
Run  on  the  loth  of  May.  planting  corn  in  a 
field  now  covered  by  50  feet  or  more  of 
coal  culm.  The  morning  was  fair,  but 
towards  noon  it  became  so  cold,  that  t  inly 
clad  as  we  were,  we  were  obliged  to  leave 
off  work  and  betake  ourselves  to  the  old 
fashioned  chimney  corner  with  its  bright 
wood  lire  kindled  on  the  fnarth.  Snow 
commenced  falling  early  in  the  evening.and 
next  morning  the  ground  was  covered  with 
four  or  five  inches.  Peach  and  plum  trees 
were  in  full  bloom,  and  their  branches  were 
drooping  with  the  weight  of  snow  and  hanging 
to  the  clusters  of  blossom,  which  in  the  case 
of  the  plum  trees  at  least,  rivaled  the  white- 
ness of  the=untimely  snow  with  which  they 
were  weighted  down.  I  do  not  remember 
what  effect  this  had  on  the  fruitage  but  trunk 
it  was  not  seriously  damaged.  w.  J. 


Another  Uutiuiely  Snow  Storm 

Now  that  the  heavy  snow  storm  of  April 
18  is  recalling  other  unseasonable  storms 
the  following  item  will  be  of  interest,  it 
being  copied  from  the  manuscript  diary  of 
Jacob  J.  Dennis,  father  of  Capt.  James  P. 
Dennis: 

"Snow  fell  on  the  4th  day  of  May,  1812, 
at  Wilkes-Barre,  nearly  all  day.  Peach 
trees  were  in  blossoms  and  apple  trees: 
some  gardens  were  made.  The  two  moun- 
tains were  covered  with  snow,  and  on 
Wilkes-Barre  Mountain  more  than  a  foot 
deep." 

Two  Valuable  lie  lies. 
Dr.  W,  H.  Sharp,  of  Nanticoke,  has  pre- 
sented the  Historical  Society  with  two  valu- 
able relics.  One  is  an  iron  hatchet  or  toma- 
hawk, blade  six  inches  long,  2:.,  inches  along 
cutting  ed^e.  It  was  found  on  the  premises 
of  Asa  Cook  in  Pike  Swamp,  near  the  cabin 
of  Abram  Pike,  the  celebrated  Indian  killer. 
The  other  is  an  aboriginal  implement  or  or- 
nament of  stone,  4lo  inches  long,  IV  inches 
wide  and  having  two  conical  shaped  holes 
bored  through  near  the  rounded  ends.  It 
was  found  on  the  mountain  in  Hunlock 
Township  by  C.  H.  Sharp. 


A  Poem  by  Mrs.  Slgourney. 
The  following  poem  is  handed  the  Record 
by  Capt.  James  P.  Dennis.  It  appeared 
first  in  the  Hartford  (Conn. )  Courant,  and 
is  undoubtedly  from  the  pen  of  the  distin- 
guished poet,  Mrs.  Lydia  Huntley  Slgourney. 
She  was  born  in  Noiwich,  Conn.,  171)1,  and 
in  1810  was  married  to  Charles  S.  Sigourney. 
of  Hartford.  Her  writings  contain  frequent 
references  to  the  aboriginal  inhabitants  of 
America  and  to  her  native  State.  Naturally 
Wyoming,  with  its  tragic  story  and  its  Con- 
necticut associations,  occupied  a  place  in  her 
writings.  The  present  poem,  which  was  an 
appeal  for  the  building  of  a  monument  ov- 
er the  bones  of  the  hero  dead  at  'Wyoming 
is  not  given  in  her  published  writings. 
Mrs.    Sigourney  died  in  Hartford  in  1805. 

THE  WYOMING   MONUMENT. 
M^n  of  thi"  happy  land,  if  yo  would  have 
Thar  valor  flourish,  which  did  guard  your  homes 
From  foreign  domination— hastfi  to  pay 
!ne  honor  to  the  dead,  who  made  their  breast 
A  shield  .-itrai   st  the  foe,  and  in  the  cause 
Of  holy  liberty,  lay  down  to  die, 
—  Flow'd  not  their  blood  from  the  game  glorious 

source 
Thai  till'd  your  own?    Why  should  they  longer 

sleep 
In  cold  oblivion's  tomb? 

'I  heir  gather'd  bones 
Are    where    the  death-shaft  fell,  and  the  green 

tarf 
Of  fair  Wyoming's  vale  hath  done  its  host 
To    deck    their    sepulchre.      Yea,    Spring    hath 

come— 
Weeping  like  Rizpah  for  her  slanghter'd  s'  ns, 
And  spread  a  mantle  o'er  them— and  the  flowers 
That    Summer    brings,    have  bndded  there  and 

died 
These  many  lustrums. 

Friends  and  countrymen- 
Plant  ye  a  stone  upon  that  hallow'd   mound. 
And  from  its  grave  tablet  teach  your  sons— 
And  when    its    pillar'd    height    goes   up  toward 

heaven, 
Teil    them  from  whence  was    drawn  that  forti- 
tude 
Which  sav'd  their  land     Then  if  you   s^e  a  tear 
Upon  the  bright  cheeks  of  your  listening  boy. 
Hasten  with  a  precious    seed— and    charge    him 

there 
To  love  his  country  and  to  fear  his  God 

—  L.  H.  S. 
Hartford,  Conn.  May  28,  1841. 


Capt  John  Fries,  of  Bucks. 
Editor  Record:  Will  not  some  contributor 
furnish  a  history  of  Capt.  John  Fries,  of 
Bucks  County,  Pa.,  who  in  1790  made  a  raid 
into  Bethlehem,  and  liberated  a  number  of 
prisoners,  was  tried  for  hi  £h  treason  and  sen- 
tenced to  death,  and  afterward  pardoned  by- 
President  John  Adams.  Will  not  .-ome  of 
our  Northampton  or  Bucks  County  local  his- 
tonans  write  him  up,  his  ancestry  and  de- 
scendants, etc.  h. 


130 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


JVIK.    I'AltlKGTON'S     KJEMINISCJGNCJSS. 

IJow  His  Father's  ISIacksinitli  Shop 
Looked,  and  How  Nails  and  Farm 
Tools  Were  Made  <>•">  Years  Aro— 
Launch  of  the  War  Ship,  "Luzerne." 

Editok  Recobd:  On  the  last  day 
of  February,  1825,  1  left  my  home  m 
Wilkes-Barre  and  walked  to  Dundaff.  I  had 
previously  made  a  contract  with  Col. 
Gould  Phinny  to  work  a  year  for  him  at 
my  trade,  (blacksmith.)  I  went  up  the 
turnpike  from  Wilkes-Barre,  through  Pitts- 
ton  to  Hyde  Park,  and  while  there  1  looked 
over  to  Capouso  (now  Scranton,)  and  I  saw 
the  residence  of  Maj.  Ebenezer  Slocum  and 
eight  or  ten  tenant  houses  in  which  his  work- 
hands  resided,  and  there  were  apparently 
ten  or  twelve  acres  of  cleared  land  where 
Scranton  now  is.  Maj.  Sloenm  had  a  forge 
there,  and  manufactured  what  was  called 
bloomer  irons  and  soon  alter  the  war  of 
1813  I  used  to  go  up  with  my  father 
to  purchase  iron  of  Mr.  Slocuin, 
my  lather  being  a  blacksmith.  Where 
Scranton  now  is,  was  then  a  dense  wilder- 
ness with  the  exception  of  the  few  acres 
around  his  house,  i  went  on  iu>  the  turn- 
pike through  Greenfield,  and  arrived  at  the 
Dundaff  Hotel  about  sundown.  There  I 
found  an  old  Wilkes-Barre  friend  and  his 
family  with  whom  1  was  acquainted,  Arehip- 
pus  Parrish,  whose  horses  I  had  shod  from 
1818  to  1822,  at  which  time  he  moved  with 
his  family  to  DundafT.  He  ran  the  hotel 
there  a  number  of  years  and  then  moved 
back  to  Wilkes-Barre.  I  felt  perfectly  at 
home  and  boarded  with  the  family  a  year, 
and  I  can  positively  say  that  it  -was  one  of 
the  happiest  years  of  my  life. 

I  will  now  go  back  a  few  years  with  the 
occurrences  of  my  boyhood  at  Wilkes-Barre. 
When  I  was  ten  years  old  <  1613)  my  father 
carried  on  the  blacksmith  business.  In  his 
shop  were  three  fires.  At  that  time  there 
were  no  hardware  stores  in  Wilkes-Barre 
and  no  edge  tools  could  bv  found  in  either 
of  the  four  or  five  stores  there,  except  now 
and  then  an  old  fashioned  one- biaded  Bar- 
low knife  might  be  found  at  a  huge  price. 
Such  an  article  as  a  cast  iron  plough  or  a  cut 
nail  was  not  known,  but  about  the  close  of 
the  war  a  man  by  the  name  of  Francis 
McShane  started  a  cut  nail  machine, 
a  very  simple  affair  indeed,  but  himself  and 
his  helper,  (Shepard  Marble,  a  Wilkes-Barre 
young  man)  could  cut  and  head  about  20 
pounds  daily;  this  caused  a  great  excitement 
in  town,  hundreds  or  people  irom  town  and 
county  came  to  see  the  nail  factory.  The 
price  of  wrought  iron  came  down  irom  20 
and  25  cents  a  pound  to  the  price  of  twelve 
and  a  half  cents.  Cut  nails  were  sold  at 
ten  cents.  The  three  tires  in  my  father's 
shop  were  used  as  follows:    First,  at  his  fire 


were  made  all  the  edge  tools,  including 
cradle  and  grass  scythes,  chopping  axes  and 
various  kinds  cf  carpenters'  tools.  At  an- 
other tire  nothing  but  the  various  kinds  of 
wrought  iron  nails  were  made,  and  the  third 
fire  was  kepi  busy  at  the  various  kinds  of 
customers'  work  as  it  was  called  for. 

During  the  war  of  1812  the  great  phip 
Luzerne  was  built  on  the  river  bank  in  front 
of  John  W.  Robinson's  stone  house.  I  saw 
the  launch.  A  thousand  or  more  people 
were  present.  The  war  spirit  was  rampant 
at  that  time,  aud  the  people  of  our  town  ex- 
pected that  the  noble  Luzerne  was  going  to 
assist  in  bunging  the  "Flag  ot  Great 
Britain"  down.  A  few  days  after  the 
launch  a  sufficient  flood  arose  and  the  ship 
was  manned  and  started  down  the  river  to- 
wards the  ocean,  but  in  passing  the  Falls  of 
Canawaga,  she  ran  on  to  the  rocks  and  lay 
there  till  the  ice  in  the  river  broke  up  the 
next  spring,  when  she  was  totally  destroyed. 

John  P.  Arndt  was  one  of  the  stockholders 
— probably  the  largest  one — in  the  vessel. 
Several  others,  including  my  father,  had 
from  three  to  five  hundred  dollars  of  the 
stock.  There  was  great  excitement  in  Lu- 
zerne County  about  those  days.  The  war 
spirit  prevailed  to  a  great  extent.  There 
were  two  recruiting  stations  at 
Wilkes-Barre  and  the  recruiting  of- 
ficers were  very  busy  for  one 
or  two  years.  Business  of  every  description 
was  brisk,  and  all  kinds  of  provision?  were 
high — wheat  two  dollars  and  fifty  cents  per 
bushel;  corn  one  dollar  and  twenty-five 
cents;  pork  eighteen  to  twenty  dollars  a  bar- 
rel, and  everything  else  in  the  iine  of  pro- 
visions proportionally  hieh. 

D.  Yabington. 


POSTAGE  FIFTY   YEARS  AGO. 

Now  We  Send  One  Ounce  Anywhere  In 
the  United  States  for  Two  Cent*. 
Fifty  years  ago  the  rates  of  postage  in  the 
United  States  were  six  cents  for  a  letter,  if 
not  carried  over  30  miles,  10  cents,  if  carried 
over  30  miles  and  not  over  80  miles,  12K< 
cents  if  over  80  and  not  over  150  miles,  18% 
cents  between  150  and  100  miles,  and  25 
cents  for  any  distance  over  400  miles. 
Double  letters,  or  letters  composed  of  two 
pieces  of  paper,  were  double  these  rates. 
Every  distinct  piece  of  paper,  if  written  on, 
was  liable  to  single-rate  letter  postage.  En- 
velopes were  then  unknown  in  this  country. 
If  used,  they  would  have  subjected  letters  to 
double  postage.  The  fourth  page  of  the 
letter  sheet  was  left  vacant,  and  the  letter 
was  so  folded  as  to  bring  a  part  of  this  page 
on  the  outside  of  (he  letter  aud  thus  furnish 
a  place  for  the  superscription  or  address. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


131 


AFTER  THE  BATTLE. 

Some  Old  Accounts  forSupplies  Furnished 
the    SoIdici'M    at     A\'esli)iorel  ind —  Some 
Blackmail  Biatoricat  Diita 
Following  are  some  extracts  from  an    old 

pocket  account- book  of   Elisha  Blackman; 
Sr.,    of   Wilkes-Barre    (Westmoreland)    in 

1778,  the  same  now  being  in  my  possession: 

"Account  again  s  William  Stuard  and  the 
foragemaster  at  Westmore  Land. 

"To  one  note  of  hand £13     GO 

"To   one    order   of  the    forage- 
master 12    0  0 

"Ots  to  the  foragemaster 6    60 

"To  corn 14     8  0 

"To  hay 10  10  0 

£56  10  0" 
Then  again  afterwards  the  same  matter  as 
follows: 
"Westmore  Land.   November  ye  25,  1778. 
"Nots  and  orders  that  I    left    with    Mr. 
Daniel  Downin. 
"To    one    not    agains    William 

Stuerd  for  pork £13     6  0 

"    One  order  for  potatoes 12    0  0 

"    Ots  for  the  arme 6    60 

"    Corn  for  the  arme 14    8  0 

"    Hay  for  the  arme 10  10  0 

£56  10  0" 
This  being  Connecticut  currency,  6s.  to  the 
dollar    would,    in     United     States    money, 
amount  to  S 188  33}£. 

This  Elisha  Blackman  wa3  the  lieutenant 
of  the  old  men,  the  "Reformadqes,"  that 
were  in  possession  of  the  Wilkes-Barre  fort, 
or  stockade,  on  the  day  of  the  massacre  at 
Wyomiug,  July  3.  1778.  On  the  next  day, 
the  4th,  after  the  women  and  children,  and 
all  the  other  old  men  in  Wilkes  Barre  and 
the  neighborhood  had  tied  aeros-  the  moun- 
tain toward  Strondsburg,  he  left  the  fort 
about  4  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  with  his 
son,  Elisha  Blackman,  Jr. — who  had  been  in 
the  battle  at  Wyoming  the  day 
before  and  had  escaped — rnd  lied 
down  the  river.  and  across  the 
country  by  the  Wapwallopen  Crefk  to 
Stroudsburg.  Elisha,  Jr..  came  back  to 
Wilkes-Barre  early  in  August  with  Capt. 
Spalding's  remnant  of  the  two  companies 
of  the  Wyomiug  or  Westmoreland  soldiers 
that  had  been  m  Washington's  army.  After 
saving  such  of  the  crops  of  his  father's  farm 
and  others  as  he  could  and  helping  to  bury 
the  dead  at  Wyoming  he  enlisted  in  Washing- 
ton's army  and  served  to  the  end  of  the  war 
—1783 

The  old  gentleman,  Elisha,  Sr.,  went  on  to 
Connecticut  with  his  family,  which  he  had 
found  at  .  Stroudsburg,  but  returned  to 
Wilkes-Barre  the  same  year,  1778,  and  dis- 


posed of  his  crops,  or  some  of  them,  to  the 
government  lor  the  soldiers  stationed  at 
Wilkes-Barre  and  the  neighborhood.  The 
potatoes  and  oats,  coin  and  hay,  or  grass, 
could  not  be  wholly  destroyed  by  the  In- 
dians. But  how  could  this  pork  have  been 
saved?  Was  it  buried  in  the  ground 'i 
Youug  Elisha's  mother  had  buried  his  cloth- 
ing to  keep  the  Indians  from  getting  it, 
before  she,  with  the  rest  of  the  children,  two 
boys,  13  and  16,  a>id  two  girls  older  than 
those,  fled  to  the  mountain,  and  young  Elisha 
never  saw  her  after  the  massacre  until  the 
war  ended  in  1783.  On  his  discharge  from 
the  army  he  went  to  Connecticut,  not  so  very 
fa.  from  Newberg,  where  the  army  was  dis- 
banded, and  when  he  returned  to  Wilkes- 
Barre  in  1786  his  buried  clothes  were  all  rot- 
ten. (His  father  returned  to  Wilkes-Barre  to 
reside  in  1787.)  But  why  had  not  his  mother 
told  his  father  where  they  were  buried, 
so  that  when  he  was  here  in 
1778  he  might  have  dug  them 
up  and  saved  them?  It  seems  that  some  of 
the  people  had  forethought  and  courage 
enough,  the  night  and  day  after  the  battle 
and  massacre,  to  bury  their  most  valuable 
property  that  could  not  be  carried  away  on 
their  backs  across  the  mountains  and  through 
the  woods  and  the  great  swamp.  There  were 
no  roads  nor  scarcely  paths  in  that  direction, 
for  that  was  toward  Pennsylvania  and  not 
New  England  settlements.      H.  B.  Plumb. 


Jones  Family  of  Bethlehem. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geo.  H.  Jones  went  to  Beth- 
lehem April  18  to  attend  the  golden  wed- 
ding of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geo.  Jones.  There 
was  a  happy  family  reunion.  The  house 
wherein  the  wedding  took  place  occupied 
the  site  of  the  old  homestead  built  by  John 
Jones,  who  bought  the  whole  tract  lyiug  be- 
tween Bethlehem  and  Ereemansburg  150 
years  ago.  On  this  farm  they  lived  33  years, 
and  hero  their  eleven  children  were  born, 
only  rive  of  whom  are  now  living.  The 
grandchild  last  born— a  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Geo  ge  11.  Jones — was  baptized  on  Monday 
evening,  in  the  presence  of  the  assembled 
family,  by  Rev.  Robert  W.  Jones,  Earl 
Andre  was  the  baptismal  name.  Ttie  hi-tory 
and  lineage  of  the  Jones  family  of  Bethle- 
hem Township  was  traced  and  embodied  in 
an  article  published  in  the  Pennsylvania 
Magazine  of  History  and  Bioyrtiphy  for 
1880,  by  Prof.  Joseph  Henry  Dubbs,  D.  D., 
of  Lancaster,  Pa.,  whose  grandmother  was 
a  Jones.  Grirtith  Jones,  tho  first  of  the  hue, 
was  born  in  Wales*,  and  died  in  Montgomery 
County,  Pa.,  in  1720.  His  son,  John,  was 
the  first  of  the  family  in  this  vicinity,  and 
the  grandchildren  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  George 
Jones  are  the  seventh  generation. 


132 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


Meteoric  Slioiver  of  is:*.:.. 

In  response  to  the  Record's  inquiry  if  any 
of  its  readers  could  describe  the  meteoric 
tthower  of  1833,  A.  G.  Stilwell  sends  the  fol- 
lowing reminiscence: 

The  writer  was  twenty  years  of  age  at  that 
date,  Nov.  12,  1833,  a  resident  oi  Susque- 
hanna County.  The  day  previous,  prepara- 
tions were  being  made  by  his  father  and 
self  to  start  early  for  Philadelphia.  About 
3  am.  we  were  astir  to  feed  and  hitch  up 
dobbin,  it  was  before  the  days  of  railroad?. 
Upon  looking  out  doors  a  sight  new  and 
dazzling  was  presented.  In  the  E*st,  West, 
North  and  South  appeared,  tilling  the  air  by 
the  millions  softly  and  quietly  falling  to- 
wards the  earth,  particles  of  fire  like  snow- 
flakes;  but  none  of  them  by  very  close  ex- 
amination could  be  seen  to  touch  the  earth. 
None  fell  at  the  feet:  but  like  the  foot  of  the 
rain-bow,  when  approached  receded.  The 
morning  was  cool  and  very  pleasant  weather 
followed  into  October.  The  recollection  of 
the  phenomenon  is  very  vivid,  but  what  it 
was  I  do  not  know;  probably  it  was  gas, 
having  the  appearance  of  fire  and  yet  with- 
out heat.  Singular  as  it  may  appear,  no 
effort  made  to  secure  or  touch  the  fire  with 
the  hand  was  successful.  When  within  a 
few  feet  of  the  earth  it  seemed  to  dissolve. 

HON.    II.    B.    PLUME'S   BECOLLECTION. 

The  author  of  the  History  of  Hanover 
Township  thus  writes: 

In  the  Record  of  April  27  you  ask  who 
among  your  readers  can  recall  the  wonder- 
ful meteoric  display  of  Nov.  12,  1833.  I,  for 
one,  can  recall  it. 

On  the  morning  of  th8  13th,  about  4 
o'clock,  my  mother  awoke  me  and  had  me 
get  up  and  go  to  the  door  with  her.  There 
she  told  me  to  look  up  at  the  sky.  I  looked 
up,  facing  the  south.  I  probably  looked  in 
every  direction  from  the  door  toward  the 
south,  but  I  have  a  recollection  only  of  look- 
ing at  the  sky  towards  the  south.  The  sky 
was  all  brightly  lighted  up  by  the  flashing 
shootiug  stars.  According  to  my  rejoliec- 
tion  they  all  shot  towards  the  west.  The 
tails  were  not  quite  as  long,  according  to  my 
recollection,  as  that  of  an  ordinary  shooting 
star,  but  they  were  constantly,  incessantly 
flashing,  wherever  I  looked,  all  ^oing  the 
same  way — the  same  direction — towards  the 
west.  There  was  not  in  any  direction,  from 
any  flashing  star  a  vacant  space,  without 
any  shooting  star  in  it,  as  wide  or  great  as 
two  diameters  of  the  full  moon.  The  tails 
6eem  to  me  to  have  been  as  long  as  five  or 
six  diameters  of  the  full  moon.  My  mother 
told  me  to  remember  that  I  was  four  years 
old  that  day.  That  day  was  my  birthday.  I 
was  too  young  to  be  frightened  at  it,  and  I 
have  just  asked  my  mother  about  it.  and  she 
was  not  frightened,  because  her  father  was 


thero  looking  at  them,  and  he  did  not  seem 
afraid  and  so  she  wasn't.  She  says  she  did 
not  know  but  he  was  used  to  such  sights,  and 
had  seen  them  often  before,  and  knew  all 
about  it.  The  next  day,  that  is  the  same  day 
after  it  got  light,  she  went  to  Wilkes-Barre, 
and  there  was  great  excitement  thero.  The 
M  ethodists  had  heid  prayers  during  the  night, 
she  learned,  aud  some  had  prayed  all  night. 
See  also  Plumb's  history  of  Hanover,  page 
292.  H.  B.  Plumb. 

AS   SEEN   AT   WILLIAMSrOliT. 

Col.  Meginness'  Historical  Journal,  pub- 
lished at  Williamsport,  pives  the  following 
reminiscence  of  an  eje-witness: 

"A  single  glance  from  the  window  con- 
vinced us  that  either  the  stars  were  falling  or 
that  some  strange  phenomenon  was  taking 
place.  The  airseemed  to  be  filled  with  fall- 
ing fire,  each  separate  particle  of  which  was 
apparently  as  large  as  the  big  flakes  of  snow 
that  sometimes  fall  on  a  soft  day  in  winter. 
The  falling  fire,  or  whatever  it  was.  made  it 
as  light  as  when  the  full  moon  is  shining  on 
a  clear  night,  and  looking  far  up  towards 
the  sky  we  could  fix  our  eyes  upon  a  single 
one  of  the  falling  meteors  and  trace  it  until 
it  almost  reached  the  ground,  upon  which 
none  of  them  could  be  seen  to  alisht.  Some 
of  the  meteors  assumed  fantastic  shapes  and 
our  fears  were  terrible.  When  we  fiually 
calmed  ourselves  enough  to  reason  together, 
we  found  that  by  fixing  our  gaze  upon  the 
real  stars,  that  were  shining  brightly  in  the 
heavens,  we  could  see  that  they  were  not 
falling.  This  allayed  our  fears,  and  from 
the  moment  that  discovery  was  made,  we 
feasted  our  eyes  upon  the  falling  meteors 
until  daylight  shut  them  from  our  view.  But 
few  of  our  neighbors  witnessed  the  strange 
sight,  and  those  who  did  not  were  loth  to  be- 
lieve the  occurrence  as  we  related  it  to  be 
real.  We,  however,  were  pleased  to  know, 
when  we  saw  the  newspapers,  that  the  singu- 
lar phenomenon  had  been  witnessed  all  over 
the  world,  and  that  we  had  seen  the  wonder- 
ful sight  of  that  remarkable  night  of  No- 
vember 12,  1833." 


By  the  death  of  Col.  James  Boone,  of 
Lancaster,  Montgomery  County  now  claims 
that  she  has  living  within  her  limits  the  old- 
est Odd  Fellow  in  Pennsylvania,  in  the  per- 
son of  Geo.  F.  Schaerl,  who  was  initiated 
ear  y  in  March.  1828,  in  Philadelphia.  He 
is  now  living  at  Blue  Bell,  in  robust  health, 
and  is  a  member  of  Centre  Square  Lodge, 
No.  20-i.-—  Xorristown  Herald. 


Major  W.  P.  Elliott,  an  account  of  whom 
appeared  in  the  March  Historical  Record 
as  being  the  oldest  printer  in  the  United 
Stales,  died  at  Lewiston,  April  2,  1687, 
aged  94. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


ra 


A  Wildcat  liemiiiiiicence. 

A  Reooed  man  succeeded  the  oilier  day  in 
corralling  Councilman  S.  H.  Lynch  at  a  mo- 
ment when  he  was  not  absorbed  in  municipal 
affairs  and  asked  hint  for  some  particulars 
as  to  an  adventure  he  hud  many  years  ago 
with  a  wildcat.  Mr.  Lynch  replied  that  it 
would  give  him  pleasure  to  have  the  story 
embalmed  in  the  Record  and  here  is  how  he 
told  it: 

In  the  winter  of  1831  two  boys  were  stand- 
ing on  the  banks  of  the  Susquehanna  at 
Wilkes-Barre,  near  what  was  then  the  resi- 
dence of  Samuel  Raub.  One  of  the  boys 
lived  in  the  house  which  stood  about  where 
W.  L.  Conyngham's  house  now  stands.  The 
river  was  covered  with  ice,  which  had  been 
crushed  by  a  recent  rise  in  the  river  and  had 
again  frozen  up.  As  they  were  gazing  at 
the  ice  they  heard  a  voice  from  the  opposite 
bank  calling  ''Bring  over  your  dogs,  bring 
ovf-r  your  dogs."  There  were  two  dogs  at- 
tending upon  the  lads,  one  called  "Mingo" 
and  the  other  "Major,"  which 
had  doubtless  been  seen  by  the 
opposite  party.  The  two  boys  lived  but  to 
obey,  and  without  considering  the  risk  of 
the  uncertain  ice  they  immediately  plunged 
down  the  bank,  crossed  the  river  and  were 
received  by  a  hunter  with  a  riiie  over  his 
shoulder,  who  told  them  that  he  had  chased 
a  wildcat  from  Ross  Hill  and  had  lost  it  in 
the  trees  and  bushes  at  the  bend  of  the  river. 
Here  was  something  worth  coming  over  the 
ice  for:  and  they,  with  the  dogs,  began  to 
beat  up  the  bush,  and  were  not  long  in 
starting  the  cat.  Backwards  and  forwards 
they  tramped,  throwing  clubs  and  stones  at 
the  animal  whenever  he  appeared  in  sight, 
expecting  he  would  tree,  but  he  was  too 
sharp  for  that.  After  workiug  through  the 
weeds  for  an  hour  or  more,  they  lost  track  of 
the  critter,  and  while  searching  in  the  trees 
for  him  a  rifle  crack  rang  out  on  the  air 
some  distance  west  of  their  position, 
and  rushing  forward,  they  soon  got  sight  of 
the  hnnter,  and  there  at  the  foot  of  a  tree 
lay  the  largest  kind  of  a  wildcat.  1  he  dogs 
rushed  in,  but  more  sneeduy  rushed  out,  as 
the  cat,  being  wounded  used  his  claws  with 
terrible  effect,  and  no  urging  could  induce 
them  to  make  another  charge,  and  it  re- 
quired another  shot  through  the  head  before 
the  game  was  up.  The  hunter  shouldered 
his  rifle  and  the  cat  and  brought  it  over  to 
town,  and  it  was  said  to  be  the  large -t  wild- 
cat ever  seen  hereabouts.  The  hunter  wa* 
John  Myers,  father  of  Lawrence  Myers,  of 
this  city.  One  of  the  boys  wa<  John  Raub. 
who  died  a  short  time  since  in  Virginia,  and 
the  other  boy  was  Mr.  Lynch  himself. 


The  Half  Has  Not  Iicen  Told. 
Editoh  Recobd:    Here  is  a  little  pieco  of 
history   as  related  (o  me  by  J.  T.  Bennett  in 
a  recent  loiter: 

"in  the  year  1828  and  1829,  my  father 
had  a  contract  on  the  canal  below  the  dam 
across  the  river  at  Nanticoke  Falls.  I  was 
there  with  him.  They  were  Yankees  and 
Dutch  on  that  section,  and  they  were  all 
Irish  below  and  above.  They  broke  out 
like  wild  tigers  and  came  on  with  clubs 
and  crow-bars  and  everything  they  could  get 
in  their  hands  that  would  kill  a  man.  My 
father  went  to  see  what  was  the  matter,  and 
they  ran  after  him  and  he  went  down  a  bank 
twelve  feet,  and  1  saw  theso  Irishmen  break 
a  rail  in  two  just  as  his  head  passed  the  bank 
and  it  was  only  about  four  inches  off.  I  ran 
up  the  canal  and  1  saw  a  lot  coming  towards 
me  and  then  I  ran  to  the  river.  It  was  very 
high  at  that  time,  I  saw  that  it  was  my  only 
chance  for  my  life  aud  in  I  went  and  started 
for  the  other  side,  but  it  so  happened  that 
there  had  been  a  small  boat  there  and  some 
had  got  into  it  and  started  to  cross  the  river. 
I  was  about  a  quarter  of  a  mile  off  and  I 
went  to  them.  My  fattier  was  in  the  boat 
and  when  we  got  up  to  Col.  Washington 
Lee's,  we  found  a  man  going  to  town 
(Wilkes-Barre).  His  name  was  Jurdon 
Womelsdorf.  My  father  sent  a  letter  by 
him  to  the  sheriff  aud  by  midnight  there 
was  a  good  party  from  town  down  there.  I 
stopped  all  night  at  my  uncle's,  Thotnaa 
Bennett,  [he  kept  a  tavern  or  hotel  in  Nan- 
ticoke], They  killed  David  Ehrett  right  by 
the  place  where  my  father  was  and  I  ran  up 
the  river  and  swam  down  and  out.— And  the 
half  has  not  been  told  yet."  p 


Death  of  Mrs.  Livingston. 

At  1  o'clock  Monday,  April  4,  Mrs.  Isaac 
Livingston,  wife  of  our  well  Known  mer- 
chant,died  at  her  residence,  84  Public  Square, 
after  a  lengthy  illness.  She  was  born  in  Ba- 
varia July  9,  1829,  and  came  to  this  city 
when  a  young  woman.  Her  tirst  husband 
was  Louis  Reese,  who  was  shot  aud  killed  on 
the  Kingston  flats.  Thirty-two  years  ago 
she  married  Mr.  Livingston  aud  their  life 
together  was  a  happy  aud  prosperous  one. 
She  leaves  one  child  by  her  first  marriage, 
Sarah,  wife  of  A.  Reese,  of  Plymouth.  Two 
sons,  Moses  and  Harry,  and  three  daughters, 
Mamie,  Gussie  and  Jennie,  survive  from  her 
second  marriage. 

For  more  than  20  years  she  has  snffered 
from  a  liver  affection  that  more  than  once 
threatened  to  terminate  her  life,  but  ine-li- 
cal  skill  succeeded  in  averting  the  crisis. 
For  the  past  few  months,  however,  it  had 
become  evident  that  the  end  was  not  far  off. 


134 


THE  HISTORICAL  1 1  ECU  111  J. 


Fifty  Years  ol"  Married  Life. 

A  very  pleasant  gathering  assembled 
Wednesday,  May  4.  at  the  residence  of 
William  ft.  Wells,  on  River  Street,  the 
occasion  being  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of 
the  marriage  of  thu  host  and  hostess, 
which  took  place  in  Kingston  May  4, 
1837.  Mr.  Wells  had  recently  come  to 
the  valley  from  Massachusetts,  Miss 
Jackson,  his  bride,  being  of  English  parent- 
age. Besides  the  21  children  and  grand- 
children.gathered  from  Meboopany,  Carbon- 
dale  and  this  city,  old  friends  and  relatives 
of  the  family  to  the  number  of  50  or  more 
were  present  to  do  honor  to  the  interesting 
event.  Miss  Edith,  daughter  of  Charles  D. 
Wells,  in  a  neat  little  speech  presented  her 
grandmother  with  a  handsome  gold  ring. 
Rev.  W.  W.  Loomis  made  some  happy  re- 
marks, recounting  his  personal  knowledge 
ofthelougand  happy  married  life  of  the 
parties,  in  which  he  stated  that  statistics 
show  that  not  more  than  one  couple  in  every 
thirteen  thousand  who  enter  upon  the  mar- 
riage relation  ever  live  to  see  the  fiftieth 
anniversary  of  that,  the  most  important 
event  in  their  lives.  He  reminded  them  that 
in  the  natural  course  of  events  they 
must  be  now  nearing  the  end  of  the  journey 
they  had  for  so  long  traveled  in  friendly 
company,  reminding  them  that  though  they 
may  be  parted  here  for  a  season,  yet  their 
souls  will  soon  be  joined  in  happy  union 
jn  that  heaven  to  which  we  are 
all  hastening,  unless  the  great  gulph  shall 
divide  us  from  those  we  love.  In  the  name, 
and  on  behalf  of  the  son  and  daughters,  he 
then  presented  Mr.  Wells  with  a  valuable 
gold  watch,  which  was  received  by  Mr. 
Wells,  who  called  upon  Rev.  Tuttle  to  make 
the  response  in  the  name  of  the  recipients, 
which  he  did  in  a  very  happy  manner  and  at 
pome  length. 

This  portion  of  the  ceremonies  being  now 
over,  a  bountiful  repast  was  spread  before 
the  guests,  to  which  they  did  ample  justice, 
a  band  of  music  on  the  front  porch  enliven- 
ing the  scene  by  discoursing  some  sweet  airs 
during  supper.  Besides  the  presents  enum- 
erated the  handsome  parlors  were  newly  fur- 
nished with  a  set  of  handsome  furniture,  a 
present  from  the  son  and  daughters  and 
their  husbands  present. 

The  bride  and  groom  of  50  years  ago  were 
in  excellent  health  and  spirits;  the  bride 
looking  bright  and  cheery,  the  groom  digni- 
fied and  patriarchal.  Long  may  they  live 
to  enjoy  the  peace  and  quiet  of  their  length- 
ened years,  the  comforts  of  homo  and  the 
society  of  their  children  and  grandchildren. 


Wilkes-Barre  in  1827. 

Wilkes-Barre,  March  28,  1887.— Editor 
Record:  Your  notice  in  this  morning's  paper 
of  it  being  25  years  since  Mr.  II.  II.  Derr  ar- 
rived in  Wilkes-Barre,  and  the  remarks  as  to 
increase  in  population,  modes  of  travel,  etc., 
reminds  mo  that  it  is  just  00  years  since  I 
walked  down  the  mountain  and  into  Wilkes- 
Barre.  My  father  bought  a  "Jersey  wagon" 
(covered)  and  two  horses  in  Philadelphia  to 
convey  his  family  to  Wyoming  Valley,  'hav- 
ing there  engaged  with  Mr.  Thomas  Dow  to 
cultivate  bis  farm  "on  shares";.  We  left 
Philadelphia  on  Thursday  afternoon,  reach- 
ed Heller's  tavern  at  the  Wind  Gap,  Blue 
Mountain,  on  Saturday  evening — rested  over 
Sunday — resumed  our  journey  on  Monday, 
anil  on  Tuesday  afternoon  arrived  in  Wilkes- 
Barre,  April  1,  1827  and  took  possession  of 
the  farm.  The  house  (of  logs)  was  about  l1^ 
miles  from  the  court  house,  on  what  is  now 
Bazle  Avenue,  then  Lowrytown  Road;  this 
house  and  another  small  log  house  at  the 
corner  of  Main  and  Blackmau  Streets,  were 
the  only  dwellings  on  the  place.  I  presume 
there  are  now  living  on  the  same  property, 
more  inhabitants  than  there  were  at  that 
time  in  the  borough  of  Wilkes-Barre.  The 
only  house  between  our  house  and  the  home- 
stead of  General  W.  M.  Ross,  on  Main  Street, 
was  Judge  Rhone's  (then  McCarragher's) 
and  a  small  house  and  distillery  on  Dana  lot, 
where  a  small  stream  crosses  the  road. 

Richard  Shap.pe. 

A  short  time  ago  you  published  a  com- 
munication in  reference  to  the  cold,  wet 
summer  of  1816  and  asked  if  any  other  of 
your  readers  could  furnish  items  in  relation 
thereto.  1  well  remember  going  with  my 
father  into  the  harvest  field  and  seeing  him 
untie  the  sheaves  of  wheat  and  spreading 
them  out  to  dry,  and  this  on  account  of  fre- 
quent showers.  The  process  had  to  be  re- 
peated before  the  grain  could  be  housed  or 
stacked.  Owing  to  the  wet  weather  a  large 
amount  of  the  grain  sprouted,  and  I  remem- 
ber the  bread  made  from  it  tasted  as  though 
sweetened  with  sugar.  b.  s. 


What  is  believed  to  be  the  original  charter 
of  Philadelphia,  made  in  1691,  has  been  dis- 
covered among  some  old  papers  of.  Colonel 
Alexander  Biddle.  This  document  antedates 
by  ten  years,  the  charter  of  1701,  which  is 
in  the  museum  of  Independence  Hall. 


"A  History  of  the  Region  of  Pennsylva- 
nia North  of  the  Ohio  and  West  of  the  Al- 
legheny River,  of  the  Indian  Purchases  and 
of  the  Running  of  the  Southern,  Northern 
and  Western  State  Boundaries,"  is  the  title 
of  a  work  edited  by  Hon.  Daniel  Agnew. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


135 


Etymology  of  "Susquehanna." 

Hockcwelder,  in  bis  "Indian  Names  of 
Rivers,  Creeks  and  other  Noted  Places  in 
Pennsylvania,  together  with  their  meaning, 
tVc,  (original  MS.,  Hist.  Soc.  Pa.),  states  : 
•The  Indian,  (Lenape)  distinguish  theRiver 
which  we  call  Susquehanna  thus:  The  North 
Branch  they  call  M'ehwewamisipu,  or  to 
shorten  it  M'chw.ewormink,  from  which  we 
have  called  it  Wyoming.  The  word  implies: 
the  Hirer  on  which  are  extensive  clear  Flats. 
The  Six  Nations,  according  to  Pyrheus 
[Moravian  missionary]  call  it  Gahonta, 
which  had  the  same  meaning. 

"The  West  Branch  they  call  Quenischa- 
chachgekhanne,  but  to  shorten  it  they  say 
Quenisehachaohki.  The  word  implies:  the 
River  which  has  the  long  reaches  or  straight 
courses  in  it. 

"From  the  forks,  where  now  the  town 
Northumberland  stands,  downwards,  they 
have  a  name  (this  word  I  have  lost)  which 
implies:  the  Great  Bay  River.  The  word 
Susquehanna,  properly  Sisquehanne,  from 
Sisku  for  mud,  and  hanne,  a  stream,  was 
probably  at  an  early  time  of  the  settling  of 
this  country,  overheard  by  some  white  per- 
son while  the  Indians  were  at  the  time  of  a 
flood  or  freshet  remarking:  Juh!  Achsis 
quehanne  or  Sisquehanna  which  is:  how 
muddy  the  stream  is,  and  therefore  taken  as 
the  proper  name  of  the  River.  Any  stream 
that  has  become  muddy,  will  at  the  time  it 
is  so,  be  called  Sisquehanna.1' — Pennsyl- 
vania Magazine  of  History  and  Biography 
for  April. 

An  Iuteresting  Historical  Work. 
Daniel  Kulp  Cassel,  of  4138  Germantown 
Avenue,  Philadelphia,  has  secured  the  copy- 
right of  a  work  upon  which  he  has  been  en- 
gaged for  several  years  past,  embracing  the 
history  of  the  Mennonites.  The  work  is  of 
more  than  local  interest,  for  while  it  gives  a 
very  complete  and  authentic  genealogical 
record  of  the  early  eettlers,  it  likewise  em- 
braces within  its  pages,  facts  gleaned  from 
all  parts  of  the  world  bearing  upon  the  his- 
tory of  this  Christian  sect.  The  work  will, 
when  published,  a  few  months  hence,  be  a 
volume  of  about  three  hundred  pages. 
Among  the  topics  treated  might  be  mention- 
ed the  following:  Baptism  in  the  early  cen- 
turies; the  Mennonite  meetings  in  Ger- 
mantown from  1683  down;  tiie  names  of 
the  subscribers  to  the  building  of  the  first 
Mennonite  Church  in  1708,  and  also  those 
who  subscribed  for  the  rebuilding  of  the 
edifice  in  1770;  sketches  of  old  meeting 
houses;  history  of  the  Mennonites  of  Vir- 
ginia, Missouri  and  adjacent  States  and  Ter- 
ritories, and  genealogical  matters  connected 
with  many  of  the  families  of  Germantown 
and  vicinity,  including  the  Kolbs,  (now 
Kulp)    Rittenhouses,    Keysers,  Cassels  and 


others.  While  the  copy  is  almost  ready  for 
the  printers1  hands,  Mr.  Cas3el  is  still  pre- 
pared to  add  any  additional  matter  of  an 
appropriate  character,  and  any  person  in  the 
possession  of  information  bearing  on  the 
subject  is  cordially  invited  to  correspond 
with  him. — Nicetown  Signal. 

Mr.  Cassel,  the  author  of  tho  above  stated 
work,  is  a  relative  of  Geo.  B.  Kulp,  Esq.,  of 
this  city. 

Could  Not  Kead  His  Own  Writing:. 

Niagara  Falls,  April  14,  1887.— Editob 
Record:  I  am  reminded  by  the  wrapper 
enclosing  the  Record  this  morning,  that  my 
subscription  for  the  year,  expires  May  1st, 
and  as  I  desire  to  have  it  continued,  I  write 
thus  early  that  not  a  day  may  be  lost  of  the 
satisfaction  I  take  in  perusing  its  coutents. 
I  am  always  interested  in  everything  relating 
in  the  Valley  of  Wyoming,  tho  home  of  my 
youth.  By  this  last  sentence,  I  am  forcibly 
reminded  that  on  Saturday  last,  (tho  0th,)  I 
passed  my  75th,  anniversary,  well  and  active 
as  a  boy.  At  my  office  regularly  and  ready 
at  all  times  to  attend  to  business  affairs  as 
they  may  be  presented  from  day  to  day, 
for  action.  I  am  reminded  of  an  anecdote 
of  many  years  ago  during  the  life  time  of 
Judge  Dyer,  tho  borough  justice  of  Wilkes 
Barre,  a  man  well  known  there  in  his  day, 
and  noted  for  his  unintelligible  hand  writ- 
ing. He  once  put  a  warrant  in  the  hands  of 
"old  Michael,"  the  then  high  constable  of 
the  borough,  for  the  arrest  of  a  man  for 
some  trivial  offence.  The  man  was  brought 
before  the  justice,  and  the  attorney  for  the 
defendant  took  the  warrant  from  tho  con- 
stable, but  could  not  read  it,  and  handed  it 
over  to  the  judge  to  interpret  it,  but  he  soon 
handed  it  back  saying,  "If  you  expect  me  to 
read  my  own  hand  writing  you  must  let  me 
see  it  before  it  gets  cold,"  much  to  the 
amusement  of  those  present.  And  I  find 
even  in  this  ago  of  progress,  some  of  the  let- 
ters received  require  the  shrewdness  of  two 
or  three  Philadelphia  lawyers  to  interpret 
them,  and  should  impress  upon  all  letter 
writers  and  correspondents  'the  importance 
of  writing  a  plain  hand.        S.  Petteuone. 


The  Historical  Record  is  on  file  in  the 
library  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Penn- 
sylvania, as  are  also  the  Proceedings  and 
Collections  of  the  Wyoming  Historical 
and  Geological  Society. 


Dr.  B.  H.  Throop's  historical  notes,  which 
have  been  running  in  the  Scranton  Argus 
for  some  weeks  have  been  neatly  reprinted 
in  pamphlet  form  for  the  Lackawanna  In- 
stitute of  History  and  Science. 


13(j 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD 


The  West  Branch  magazine. 
The  initial  number  of  tho  Historical 
Journal,  a  monthly  record  devoted  princi- 
pally to  preserving  the  local  history  in  the 
West  Branch  Valley  of  tho  Susquehanna  and 
Northeastern  Pennsylvania  in  general,  has 
made  its  appearance.  It  comprises  33  pages, 
is  edited  by  John  F.  Meginness,  of  the  Will- 
iamsport  Gazette  and  Bulletin.  Some  30 
years  ago  Mr.  Megiuness  wrote  a  history  of 
the  West  Branch  region  under  the  title  of 
"Otzinaehson."  He  now  contemplates  a 
now  edition,  but  has  a  large  amount  of 
material  that  is  more  suited  to  a  magazine 
than  to  a  local  history,  consequently  he 
has  undertaken  the  publication  in  question. 
It  will  be  made  up  of  fragments  of  history 
that  would  otherwise  be  lost — reminiscences 
of  pioneers,  Indian  remains,  necrology, 
longevity,  and  a  host  of  other  interesting 
features.  Among  the  contained  matter  are 
articles  on  Rev.  John  Bryson.  a  pioneer 
Presbyterian  divine,  stature  of  Revolution- 
ary soldiers,  meteoric  shower  of  1833,  early 
Methodism  in  Centre  County,  latitude  of 
Wilkes -Barre  (reprinted  from  the  Record) 
and  numerous  other  articles  and  short  items 
of  statistics  and  manufactures  also  receive 
some  interesting  attention.  The  subscrip- 
tion price  is  S2  per  annum. 


An  Instance  of  Indian  Prohibition. 

lion.  John  Blair  Linn,  of  Bellefonte,  says 
in  the  Historical  Journal  that  the  country 
about  the  mouth  of  Lycoming  Creek  was  in 
1753  the  domain  of  French  Margaret,  a 
Canadian,  and  niece  of  Madame  Montour. 
Williamsport  now  occupies  the  site  of  her 
village,  which  was  noted  on  Scull's  map  of 
1759  as  ''French  Margaret's  Town."  She 
was  visited  in  1753  by  J.  Martin  Mack,  the 
well  known  Moravian  missionary  among  the 
Indians,  who  writes  thus  in  his  journal: 

In  the  course  of  conversation,  for  she  was 
very  communicative,  she  stated  that  her  sou 
and  son-in-law  had  been  killed  in  the  winter 
while  on  a  maraud  against  the  Creeks.  On 
asking  permission  to  deposit  our  packs  with 
her,  until  our  return  from  the  Delaware  town 
of  Quenisehaehschocheny,  (Linden,)  'Oh,' 
said  she,  'the  Indians  there  have  been 
drinkiug  hard  the  past  week,  and  you  will 
likely  find  them  all  drunk!'  'On  our  return 
she  gave  us  a  refreshing  draught  of  milk  and 
entertained  us  with  the  family  news,  speak- 
ing of  Andrew  and  of  her  husband,  Peter 
Quebec,  who  she  said  had  not  drank  rum 
within  six  years.  She  has  prohibited  its  use 
in  her  town,  and  yet  although  she  lias 
initiated  other  reformatory  measures 
within  her  little  realm,  she  enjoys  the  re- 
spect and  confidence  of  her  subjects. 


Where  the  Levari  Letter  Came  From. 
In  the  last  issue  of  the  Recohd  appeared 
tv/o  hitherto  unpublished  letters,  one  of  them 
relative  to  the  provisioning  of  Fort  Allen 
(now  Allen  town)  '131  years  ago.  the  writer 
being  Jacob  Levan.  We  are  informed  by 
Rev.  F.  K.  Levan,  of  this  city,  who  is  a  dili- 
gent student  of  the  early  history  of  North- 
eastern Pennsylvania,  that  the  Mr.  Levan 
who  wrote  tho  letter  is  the  ance-tor  of  the 
Maxatawny  branch  of  the  family.  The  orig- 
inal lettor  was  in  the  possession  of  the  late 
Mr.  Miekley,  the  well  known  Philadelphia 
antiquarian,  and  probably  has  passed  into 
the  possession  of  the  Historical  Society  of 
Pennsylvania.  The  letter  published  in  the 
Record  is  a  fren  translation  from  the 
original  German,  made  for  our  contributor, 
Mr.  C.  F.  Hill,  b\  Kev.  Mr.  Levan.  who  had 
possession  of  a\i  rbatim  copy  of  the  letter, 
made  by  Mr.  Miekley  himself.  The  copy  is 
in  the  possession  of  Mr.  Levan.  Hf  laid 
great  store  by  the  original  and  offered  Mr. 
Miekley  a  handsome  amount  for  it,  bat  its 
possessor  declined  to  part  with  it.  \Ve  would 
be  pleased  to  learn  the  exact  whereabouts  of 
the  original. 


Scheussel's  large  canvass,  "Zeisberger 
Preaching  to  the  Indians,"  painted  in  1^58, 
at  the  solicitation  of  John  Jordan.  Jr.,  and 
Mr.  Skirving,  of  Philadelphia,  and  Mr.  Ru- 
fus  Grider,  of  Bethlehem,  which  attracted 
considerable  attention  at  the  Centennial, 
was  shipped  recently  to  London,  England, 
to  bo  placed  among  che  American  exhibits 
in  the  exhibition.  John  Jordan,  Jr..  who 
was  the  owner  of  the  painting,  presented  it 
to  the  Moravian  Society  for  the  promotion 
of  the  gospel  among  the  heathen,  and  it  has 
been  kept  for  some  years  in  the  archive 
room  of  tho  church  at  Bethlehem.  The 
painting,  which  is  considered  Scheussel's 
masterpiece,  is  valued  at  85,000,  and  has 
been  reproduced  as  a  steel  engraving.  It 
was  loaned  at  the  earnest  solicitation  of  the 
directors  of  the  exhibition,  some  of  them 
having  seen  it  at  the  Centennial. 


Pennsylvania  is  an  immense  State,  yet  it 
doesn't  seem  large  enough  to  contain  more 
than  one  Revolutionary  pensioner,  a  Mrs. 
Betz,  for  whose  benefit  a  bill  was  introduced 
in  the  Senate  some  weeks  ago,  the  object  of 
which  is  to  increase  the  meagre  stipend  she 
at  present  receives  from  the  State-Treasury. 
Mrs.  Betz,  who  has  been  a  resident  of  Har- 
risburg  ever  since  her  husband  died,  thirty- 
four  years  ago,  was  the  second  wife  of  Peter 
Betz,  a  drummer  boy  in  the  Revolutionary 
war,  to  whom  she  was  married  in  ltLL  she 
being  then  only  16  years  of  age,  while  her 
husband  was  55.      The  venerable   dame  is 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


1.37 


now  89  years  old,  but  for  all  that  is  reported 
to  be  quite  vivacious  aud  likely  to  "hold  the 
fort"  tor  some  years  to  come  as  Pennsyl- 
vania^ only  Revolutionary  pensioner.— 
Exchange. 

DEATH    OF    CHARLES    STUKDEV.IXT. 


A  Representative  of  a  Pioneer  Family 
Fasses  From  Life— Hit*  IVIother  "was  iu 
the  Balrle  of  Wyomintr. 

Charles  Sturdevant  died  at  his  residence 
on  Hanover  Street,  April  13,  1887,  aged 
about  75  years,  having  been  born  in  Brain- 
trim  Township,  Luzerne  County,  now  Wyonia 
ing  County,  Nov.  12,  1812.  With  but  a 
single  exception  (that  of  an  elder  sister)  he 
was  the  lastof  a  large  family  of  brothers  and 
sisters.  His  brothers  were  Major  John 
Sturdevant,  Gen.  E.W.  Sturdevant  and  L.  D. 
Sturdevant,  who  all  died  within  the  last  few 
years,  aged  respectively  83,  78  and  82  years. 

His  father,  Samuel  Sturdevant,  emigrated 
from  Connecticut  in  1792  and  settled  upon 
the  banks  of  the  Susquehanna  River  some 
40  miles  above  the  Wyoming  Valley,  where 
he  became  a  prornmont  business  man. 

The  man  to  whose  memory  we  devote  a 
few  passing  moments  was  a  merchant  in 
Braintriin  until  the  year  1850,  when  he  re- 
moved to  this  city,  where  he  entered  into 
business  in  the  old  Sidney  Tracy  building, 
corner  of  Franklin  and  Market  Streets, 
where  now  stands  the  Wyoming  National 
Bank. 

In  18G2  he  entered  the  army,  serving  in 
the  Excelsior  Brigade,  under  Maj.  Gen. 
Sickles  and  with  the  2d  Army  Corps  under 
Maj.  Gen.  Hancock  until  the  close  of  the 
Wat.  Since  that  time  he  has  lived  upon  the 
farm  iu  South  Wilkes-Barre  where  he  passed 
peacefully  away.  He  was  a  silent  man 
among  men,  but  the  grand  old  forest  trees 
had  a  language  for  him,  and  the  wild  bird  on 
hill  had  no  fear  at  his  coming.  He  was  a 
man  full  of  affection  and  was  loved  most  by 
those  that  knew  him  best.  His  wife,  a 
daughter  of  the  late  Maj.  I.  H.  Ross,  and  four 
daughters  survive.  One  daughter  is  the 
wife  of  Nathan  Bennett,  Esq.  Another 
the  widow  of  the  late  Allan  Brotherhood. 
Another  is  the  widow  of  the  late  Ziba  Faser, 
and  a  fourth,  Miss  Sallie,  has  occupied  a  re- 
sponsible position  for  several  years  in  the 
postoffiee.  in  charge  of  the  money  order  and 
registered  letter  department. 

Deceased  comes  from  a  highly  respected 
family  who  figured  prominently  in  the  early 
history  of  the  Wyoming  region.  His  parents 
were  Connecticut  people,  aud  it  may  not  be 
generally  known  that  his  mother  was  in  the 
Wyoming  fort  at  the  time  of  th«  massacre 
of  1778.  She  was  Elizabeth,  daughter  of 
John  N.  Skinner,  and  her  grandfather  was 
one  of  the  aged  men  in  charge  of  the  fort  as 


protectors  of  the  women  and  children.  Her 
father  was  in  the  light.  Elizabeth,  then  u 
child,  and  her  parents  went  on  foot, 
with  the  women  and  children  spared 
by  tho  Indians,  through  the  wilderneses 
called  the  "Shades  of  Death,"  to  tho  Dela- 
ware Rivor  and  thence  to  Connecticut.  The 
grandfather  of  deceased,  Rev.  Samuel 
Sturdevaut,  was  a  Baptist  minister  and 
preached  the  first  sermon  known  to  have 
been  preached  by  a  white  man  in  Abington. 
Previous  to  his  ministerial  life  ho  served 
throughout  the  Revolutionary  war  as  an 
orderly  sergeant  and  captain.  After  tho 
war  he  emigrated  to  Black  Walnut,  now 
Wyoming  County,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming,  and  continued  to  reside 
until  his  death  in  1828.  The 
maternal  grandfather  of  the  subject 
of  this  sketch  was  Ebenezer  Skinner,  who 
located  in  177b'  at  the  north  of  the  Tuscarora 
Creek,  12  miles  below  Wyalusiug,  on  lauds 
adjourning  the  purchase  of  Rev.  Mr.  Sturde- 
vant.  At  the  advance  of  the  Indians  down 
the  valley  in  1778,  he  and  his  family  went  to 
Forty  Fort,  by  canoe  down  the  Susquehanna 
River,  that  being  then  and  for  many  years 
the  only  means  of  travel  up  and  down  the 
river.  _ 

Death  of  Mrs.  Ferry. 

About  noon  May  5  Mrs.  Ann  Ferry,  re- 
lict of  the  late  Richard  Perry,  and  mother  of 
our  townsman,  J.  R.  Perry,  died  at  the  resi- 
dence of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Susan  Stem,  350 
North  Mam  Street,  aged  92  years.  She  had 
resided  in  this  community  many  years  and 
was  generally  kuown  and  highly  respected. 
She  is  survived  by  nine  children,  six  sons 
and  three  daughters.  Six  of  her  children 
are  now  living  in  this  city,  J.  R.,  H.  C.  and 
S.  R.  Perry,  Mrs.  Stern,  Mrs.  Mary  Neiman 
and  Mrs.  Margaret  Krantz,  tho  latter  two  re- 
siding on  Kulp  Avenue.  The  funeral  took 
place  Saturday  at  4  pm.  with  interment 
in  Hollenback  cemetery. 

Death  of  a  Forty  Fort  Lady. 
Miss  Matilda  Ann  Adams,  sister  of  Mrs. 
Rev.  E.  H.  Snowden,  of  Forty  Fort,  died  at 
the  residence  of  tho  latter  Thursday,  April  14, 
aged  81  years.  About  a  month  ago  Miss 
Adams  met  with  an  accident  by  which  she 
broke  one  of  her  arms  and  sustained 
internal  injuries.  For  a  while  she  seemed  to 
improve,  put  her  extreme  age  seemed  to  be 
against  her  ultimate  recovery  and  in  the  be- 
ginning of  the  week  a  change  for  the 
worse  was  noticeable.  Deceased  was  a  lady 
universally  respected  and  her  friends  were 
legion.  Services  were  held  at  the  house 
Sunday,  at  4  pm.,  Rev.  Dr.  Hodge  officiat- 
ing. On  Monday  the  remains  were  con- 
veyed to  Newberg,  N.  1\,  and  interred  in  the 
family  vault. 


138 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


KEY.    I.    U,   TOKRENCK. 


Hie  Severe  A  Miction— Extensive  Acquaint- 
ance With    Leading    Divines— Interest- 
ing Personal  Kemiinsceuces. 
The  friends  of  Rev.  lrvin  H.    Torrence  in 
the  West  Branch  Valley— and  ho    has    mauy 
of  them — will  regret  to  learn    that    he  is  al- 
most totally  blind,  and    therefore    deprived 
from    moving    about    without     assistance. 
Colonel  J.   Sallade,    of    Williamsport,    who 
recently  visited  him  at  his  home    at    River- 
side, opposite  Danville,  says: 

"Among  the  many  regrets  we  have  for  the 
great  affliction  that  now  deprives  our  old 
and  dear  friend  of  his  sight,  is  that  we  fear 
he  will  be  unable  to  carry  out  his  intontion 
of  writing  a  book  of  facts  and  incidents  of  a 
44,  years'  ministerial  life,  34  of  which  were 
devoted  to  the  Bible  Society  of  all  denomi- 
nations. Perhaps  no  man  in  the  State  has 
come  in  contact  with  more  of  the  older 
families,  or  preached  iu  as  many  pulpits  of 
different  denominations  than  Mr.  Toirence. 
His  associations  with  clergymen,  such  as 
Bishops  Potter,  Bowman  and  Stevens  of 
the  Protestant  Episcopal:  Myer  and  Demnie 
of  the  Lutheran;  Barnc-?,  Boardman  and 
Brainord  of  the  Presbyterian:  Smith  and 
Full  of  the  Baptist,  and  Durbin,  Simpson 
and  Bowman  of  the  M.  E.  church,  and  John 
Chambers,  Independent,  were  close  and  in- 
timate for  years,  because  of  their  relations 
to  the  Bible  Society.  Aside  from  these  he 
was  intimately  acquainted  with  hundreds  of 
others. 

"Mr.  Torrence,  I  venture  to  say,  occu- 
pied more  pulpits  of  more  denominations 
than  any  other  divine  in  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania, and  he  has  also  preached  at  sea 
iu  a  steamship  while  returning  from  Europe. 
and  he  has  talked  and  sung  with  more  Sun- 
day school  children,  not  excepting  John 
VVanamaker,  than  any  other  man.  He  has 
also  talked  and  sung  to  childent  from  the 
steps  of  the  King's  palace  in  Germany  and 
talked  to  hundreds  of  students  in  Basle, 
Switzerland. 

"He  was  personally  acquainted  with  all  the 
governors  of  the  State  from  Porter  to 
Beaver.  The  former  was  elected  in  1838 
and  the  latter  in  188(3. 

"During  the  war  he  was  appointed  a  com- 
missioner to  proceed  to  the  Southern  Con- 
federacy to  relieve  the  prisoners  in  Libby 
and  on  Belle  Isle,  lie  projected  a  plan  to 
relieve  the  prisoners  at  the  time  of  the  ex- 
change dead-lock.  The  hearts  of  the  great 
North  was  moved  in  sj  mpathy  for  the  suf- 
ferers, and  large  amounts  of  money  and 
provisions  could  have  been  raised  if  he  could 
have  reached  the  prisoners. 

"At  this  point  Mr.  Torrence  devised  a  plan 
to  reach  them,  which  was  endorsed  by  Gov- 
ernor Curtin,  Secretary    Stanton,    General 


Hallock  and  President  Lincoln.  The  names 
of  these  gentlemen  are  now  in  the  hands  of 
Mr.  Torrence  respectively  endorsing  his 
plans,  which  are  among  the  unpublished  re- 
cords of  the  war. 

"There  was  placed  at  his  disposal  by  the 
war  department  the  flag  ship  New  York, 
Captain  Mumford  commanding,  which 
conveyed  him  to  City  Point.  On  his 
arrival  there  he  opened  a  correspon- 
dence with  the  Confederacy,  havirjg  had  a 
personal  acquaintance  with  Jeff  Davis.  In 
responso  Mr.  Davis  sent  the  Roanoke  Hag 
ship  and  a  conference  was  held  with  Mr. 
Torrence,  and  his  plans  were  carried  back 
for  the  relief  of  the  prisoner*.  White  nego- 
tiations were  pending  Gen.  Butler  was  put 
in  command  at  Fortress  Monroe,  and  tie 
abruptly  stopped  all  communication-,  ex- 
cept to  allow  the  sending  of  vaccine  matter, 
as  the  small  pox  was  then  prevailing  to  an 
alarming  extent  in  the  Confederate  prisons 
where  Union  men  were  held. 

•'Thus  one  of  the  most  humane  enterprises 
of  the  war  was  defeated  and  the  flag  ship 
with  Mr.  Torrence  returned  from  the  mission 
of  mercy." 

Mr.  Torrence  first  commenced  preaching 
in  the  West  Branch  Valley,  and  here  his 
earliest  friendships  were  formed.  Although 
unable  to  travel  and  meet  his  friends  as  of 
yore,  they  will  be  glad  to  learu  that  he  is 
surrounded  with  comfort,  that  he  is  resigned 
aud  happy  in  the  consciousness  of  having 
done  a  good  work  and  served  his  Master 
faithfully.  —  Williamsport  Gazette  and 
Bulletin.      

Death  of  Mrs.  Hugh  McGroarty. 

On  May  16  Mrs.  Hugh  McGroarty,  a  highly 
esteemed  lady  of  Miner's  Mills,  died  after 
less  than  a  week's  illness. 

Mrs.  McGroarty  was  born  in  Glautes, 
County  Donegal,  Ireland,  in  1817.  Iu  1832 
she  was  married  to  Mr.  McGroarty  in  the 
same  parish,  and  in  18*.38  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mc- 
Groarty came  to  America  and  settled  at 
Summit  Hill,  Carbon  County.  Subsequently 
they  removed  to  Buck  Mountain  and  thence 
to  Sugar  Notch,  and  in  18t>6Mr.  McGroarty 
established  the  Miner's  Mills  Hotel,  of  which 
he  continued  to  be  proprietor  until  1881. 

Mrs.  McGroarty  was  a  highly  intelligent 
woman,  having  a  large  acquaintance  with 
English  literature,  in  which  she  turned  her 
attention  chiefly  to  poetry.  For  30  years 
she  had  been  a  subscriber  to  the  Boston 
Pilot.  Deceased  leaves  Ave  children,  Mrs. 
Michael  Farrell,  of  Sugar  Notch;  Mrs.  John 
Murrin,  of  Carbondale;  Mrs.  Michael  Mc- 
Hale,  Miner's  Mills:  Hugh  McGroarty,  Jr., 
and  John  S.  McGroarty.  Another  son, 
Barney,  died  some  years  ago.  Mrs.  Mc- 
Groarty was  buried  at  Buck  Mountain. 


THE  HISlOmCAL  RECORD. 


139 


Death  of  Elias   Kobins. 

After  making  a  brave  battle  for  life  against 
a  iiio.it  painful  and  relentless  disease.  Elias 
Robins  died    May      17    at     Hot    Springs, 

Ark.,  whither  ho  had  gone  in  the  vain  hope 
of  finding  relief.  Mr.  Robins  was  a  sufferor 
from  sciatic  rheumatism  of  a  most  acute 
and  excruciating  form  and  had  been  unable 
to  attend  to  business  lor  a  year  or  two. 
Two  months  ago  he  went  to  Hot  Springs 
with  his  wife  and  daughter,  and  they  were 
with  him  at  the  last.  He  appeared  to  im- 
prove at  first,  but  blood  poisoning  set  in  to 
aggravate  his  condition,  and  for  some  weeks 
he  could  not  be  moved  unless  put  uuder  the 
influence  of  morphine. 

Mr.  Robins  was  born  in  Hanover  Town- 
ship, Jaly  1,  1820,  and  spent  his  boyhood 
clays  on  Ids  father's  farm.  When  about  15 
years  oid  he  came  to  Wilkes-Barre  as  a  clerk 
for  Ziba  Bennett,  with  whom  and  whose 
family  he  was  ever  afterwards  identified. 
Mr.  Bennett  reposed  groat  confidence  in  his 
young  clerk  and  seven  years  later  took  him 
into  partnership,  the  firm  also  including 
Charles  Parrish  and  being  styled  Bennett, 
Parrish  &  Co.  In  1854  the  firm  was  dis- 
solved and  Mr.  Fiobins  went  to  Valparaiso. 
Ind.,  to  engage  in  business,  but  a  few  years 
experience  made  him  long  for  the  old  home 
and  he  accordingly  returned  to  Wilkes- 
Barre,  going  in  again  with  Mr. 
Bennett.  In  1860  a  new  firm 
was  formed — Z.  Bennett  &  Co. — consisting 
of  Mr.  Bennett,  Mr.  Robins  and  Philip  Ab- 
bott. The  firm  carried  on  business  for  19 
years,  but  a  dissolution  was  rendered  neces- 
sary in  1879  by  the  death  of  the  senior  part- 
ner. Mr.  Bennett.  The  only  change  was  the 
taking  of  Mr.  Bennett's  interest  by  the 
widow.  Priscilla  Leo  Bennett,  the  firm  name 
becoming  Bennett  <fc  Co.  About  1832,  Mr. 
Abbott  removed  to  St.  Paul,  where  he  now 
resides,  and  Mrs.  Bonnett  disposed  of  her 
interest  to  her  grandson,  Frank  Phelps,  who 
with  Mr.  Robins  continued  the  business  as 
the  Bennett  Hardware  Company  up  to  the 
present  time. 

Mr.  Robins  was  a  man  of  sterling  integ- 
rity, strictly  devoted  to  business  and  a  man 
who  was  recognized  in  the  community  as  a 
kind  husband,  an  affectionate  father  and  a 
most  excellent  citizen.  He  mingled  little 
with  the  general  activities  of  the  town, 
though  he  was  at  one  timo  a  member  of  the 
i-ehool  board  and  was  during  all  his  late  years 
a  trustee  and  treasurer  of  thy  Home  for 
Friendless  Children,  discharging  the  duties 
in  a  painstaking  and  faithful  manner.  He 
wan  a  member  of  the  official  board  of  the 
First  M.  E.  Church,  a*  also  a  member  of  the 
church  and  taking  an  active  interest  in  the 
Sunday  school. 

Mr.  Robins  was  twice  married,  his  first 
wife  being  Mary  A.  Mills,  of  Hanover  Town- 


ship, who  bore  him  five  children,  of  whom 
only  two  are  living,  Norman,  residing  in 
Indiana,  and  Mary  E.,  living  at  home. 
The  late  Mrs.  Jesse  T.  Morgan  was  a  daugh- 
ter. His  second  wife,  who  survives  him,  was 
Miss  Sarah  J.  Overton. 

Deceased  was  the  sou  of  John  Robins, 
who  was  born  in  New  Jersey  and  settled  in 
Hanover  shortly  after  1800.  Elias  was  the 
youngest  of  a  family  of  eight  children,  of 
whom  Elizabeth  married  Lewis  Whitlock, 
Mary  died  unmarried  in  1880,  Cornelius 
married  Hannah  Wiggins,  Abner  married 
Catherine  Fastnach,  Margaret  married 
Nathan  G.  Howe,  John  G.  died  unmarried, 
and  James  H.  marriod  Harriet  Monega. 
Besides  this  branch  of  the  Robins  family, 
Hanover  Township  has  been  peopled  by 
another  branch,  also  from  New  Jersey,  the 
two  probably  having  more  representatives 
than  any  other  name  iu  the  township. 

Death  of   Edward  Enterline. 

Edward  Enter)  ine,  the  well  known  dealer 
in  hides,  tallow,  etc.,  died  Tuesday  afternoon, 
May  3,  at  his  home  on  South  Main  Street, 
aged  Go  years.  Mr.  Enterline  was  formerly 
a  wealthy  and  prominent  citizen  of  Tainaqua, 
whence  he  came  to  Wilkes-Barre  in  1875. 
He  was  born  in  Gratz,  Dauphin  County, 
Ang.  8,  1821,  where  he  learned  the  tanner's 
trade.  Moving  earlj  in  life  to  Tamaqua,  ho 
there  became  proprietor  of  a  large  tannery 
in  that  place  and  achieved  a  large  fortune, 
all  of  which  was  lost  in  the  panic  of  1873. 

Shortly  afterward  Mr.  Enterline  removed 
to  Wilkes-Barre  and  engaged  in  the  hide  and 
tallow  business  in  which  he  has  been  suc- 
cessful. Deceased  had  been  suffering  from 
heart  disease  which  became  complicated 
with  lung  trouble  recently,  causing  him  to 
take  to  his  bed  a  few  days  ago.  Mrs.  Enter- 
line, whom  ho  married  in  1841,  is  lying  ill 
at  her  home  suffering  from  the  result  of  a 
surgical  operation.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Enterline 
have  had  10  children,  five  of  whom  are  still 
living,  three  being  daughters,  one  of  whom 
is  Mr-".  C.  Ben  Johnson,  of  this  city. 

The  funeral  took  place  from  the  lato 
residence,  250  South  Main  Street,  Friday, 
at  7:30  am.  Intermont  was  made  at  Tama- 
qua. 

The  Doylestown  Democrat  for  March  15, 
contains  a  contribution  signed  E.  M.,  on- 
titled:  "New  Britain  Homesteads— Lands  >A 
the  Delaneys,  the  Lines  Family."  The 
progenitor  of  the  Hines  family  came  to 
America  from  Ireland  about  1720  and  the 
family  have  ever  since  been  prominent  iu 
Bucks  County.  One  of  them  served  his 
country  as  an  officer  during  the  Revolution- 
ary struggle. 


140 


TEE  HISTORIC  A  L  RECORD. 


Capt.  Jolm  Dennis  Dead. 
At  2:50  pm.  May  3,  Capt.  John  Dennis, 
who  has  been  prostrated  with  a  paralytic 
stroke,  died  at  his  residence  in  Parsons.  He 
was  born  in  Booralston,  Devonshire,  Eng- 
land, in  1810  and  came  to  this  country  in 
18-18  and  settled  in  Scrauton.  He  remained 
there  until  1851  and  then  removed  to  Pitts- 
ton,  where  he  resided  only  about  10  months, 
when  he  removed  to  Phoenixville,  Chester 
County.  He  lived  there  for  three  years  and 
then  took  up  his  home  in  Plymouth,  where 
he  lived  until  185(5.  Here  he  entered  the 
business  of  contracting  lor  the  sinking  of 
shafts,  etc.,  in  and  around  the  mines.  He 
sank  the  Pattou  shaft  in  Poke  Hollow,  the 
first  shaft  put  down  on  the  west  side  of  the 
river  in  this  section.  In  1856  he  moved  to 
the  Empire  and  was  the  contractor  for  the 
sinking  of  that  shaft  under  the  superintend- 
ence' of  Charles  Parrish.  Ho  moved  from 
tho  Empire  to  Buttonwood  in  1859  and 
started  the  sinking  of  the  shaft  there  but 
before  it  was  completed  moved  to  Arlington, 
N.  J.,  and  from  there  to  Orange  County,  N. 
Y.,  where  he  was  superintendent  of  the  Erie 
lead  mines,  where  he  remained  long  enough 
to  furnish  lead  enough  to  conquer  the  rebel- 
lion, the  works  which  he  superintended 
sending  out  300  tons  of  lead  per  month. 
He  left  Orange  County  in  1807  and  moved 
to  this  vicinity  where  ho  remained  until  the 
hour  of  his  death,  though  he  never  entered 
active  business  again.  In  1881  he  was 
elected  burgess  of  Plymouth  and  served 
two  terms.  About  a  year  ago  he  moved  to 
Parsons.  He  was  twice  married  and  is  sur- 
vived by  bis  second  wife  and  seven  children 
by  his  first  wife,  whom  he  married  in  Eng- 
land and  who  died  in  Wilkes-Barre  in  1878. 
His  eldest  son,  John,  died  in  Plymouth  in 
1854.  The  surviving  children  are  Richard, 
now  living  in  San  Francisco:  William  A., 
of  San  Jose,  Cat.;  Elizabeth,  wife  of  Daniol 
Gunton,  of  Wilkes-Barre:  Samuel  J.  and  F. 
H.,  of  Arlington,  N.  J.,  and  J.  R.,  now  re- 
siding in  New  York.  He  had  no  children 
by  his  second  wife,  whose  maiden  name  was 
Jjydia  Jones,  of  Plymouth,  and  to  whom  he 
was  united  some  three  years  ago. 

The  funeral  took  place  on  Thursday,  at 
11  am.  from  the  house  at  Parsons,  with  in- 
terment in  Plymouth  Cemetery, 


Death  of  V.ertinrri  Frauenthal. 

Bernard  Frauenthal,  one  of  tho  most 
widely  known  of  Wilkes-Barre  merchants, 
died  at  his  residence  20  South  Main  Streol, 
at  10:30  pm.  April  23,  aged  54  years,  of  a 
complication  of  diseases  beginning  a  month 
ago  with  inflammation  of  the  bowels.  The 
immediate  cause  of  his  death  was  the  rup- 
ture of  a  blood  vessel  early  in  the  afternoon, 
the  patient  being  unable  to  rally  aftor  it. 

Mr.  Frauenthal  was  born  in  Bavaria  in 
1838  and  came  to  America  in  1856,  settling 
in  Wilkes-Barre,  which  has  since  been  hi* 
home.  He  was  engaged  as  clerk  for  some 
time  with  his  brother  Samuel,  whose  place 
of  business  was  in  one  of  tho  old  buildings 
on  Public  Square,  just  demolished  by 
Edward  Welles.  From  there  he  went  for  a 
short  time  to  Pittston,  where  he  managed 
his  brother's  boot  and  shoe  store.  While  in 
Pittston  in  1861,  he  married  Mrs.  Bomberg, 
nee  Lowenstein,  who  owned  a  dry  goods 
store  in  Wilkes-Barre,  and  shortly  thereafter 
returned  to  this  city  where  ho  embarked  in 
the  dry  goods  business  at  29  South  Main 
Street,  in  which  he  remained  till  his  death. 
Mr.  Frauenthal  leaves  a  wife  and  two 
daughters,  Rebecca  and  Carrie.  He  is  also 
survived  by  four  brothers,  Samuel  of  this 
city,  Henry  and  Abraham,  of  St.  Louis,  and 
William  L.,  of  New  York,  and  by  one  sister, 
Mrs.  Solomon  Abrahams. 

Deceased  was  a  member  of  10  lodges, 
being  a  prominent  mason  of  nearly "20 
years'  standing.  He  was  a  member  of 
Masonic  Council.  I.  O.  O.  F.  and  A.  L.  of  H. 
The  funeral  will  take  place  on  Wednesday  at 
2:30.  Interment  will  be  in  the  Jewish 
cemetery. 


In  1817  the  average  price  of  wheat  in  this 
region  was  $3.50  per  bushel.  In  1827,  the 
price  was  82.  ']  he  following  are  the  aver- 
age prices  from  that  time  to  1877,  taken 
every  ten  years:  1837,  83.50:  1847,  83.15; 
1857,  $2.75:  1867,  83.25;  1877,  S2.  The 
present  price  is  about  90  cents  per  bushel. — 
Bucks  County  Intelligencer. 


Death  of  Miss  Kllen  C.  Rutter. 

Miss  Ellen  Cist  Rutter,  the  condition  of 
whose  health  had  for  a  long  time  been  a 
source  of  anxiety  to  her  family  and  friends, 
died  at  her  father's  house  on  River  Street 
May  21,  at  about  4  o'clock  am.  Miss  Rutter 
had  suffered  from  Bright's  disease  which  the 
best  medical  skill  could  not  expel  from  her 
system. 

Miss  Rutter  was  the  oldest  of  N.  Rutter's 
children,  of  whom  all  are  now  dead  save 
Miss  Natalie,  J.  N.  and  Hervey.  She  was 
widely  known  and  esteemed  in  Wilkes-Barre, 
being  a  woman  of  sweet  Christian  character 
and  affectionate  disposition.  Her  death  will 
be  widely  mourned. 

The  funeral  took  place  from  the  residence 
on  North  River  Street  Monday  at  5  pm. 
with  interment  at  Hollenback  Cemetery, 
Rev.  Dr.  Hodge,  of  whoso  congregation  de- 
ceased was  a  member,  officiating. 


' 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


141 


DEATH  OF  MBS.  OSTEKHOUT. 

End    of    an    Illness     Contracted     Several 
Month*  -\^o. 

Mrs.  Elizabeth  Lee  Osterhout,  widow  of 
the  late  Isaac  S.  Osterhout ,  died  at  her  horao, 
corner  of  Northampton  and  Franklin  Street^, 
April  28,  at  2  o'clock  am.,  after  an 
illness  of  several  months.  Her  general 
health  had  been  good,  though  her  men- 
tal faculties  seemed  to  be  slightly  impaired, 
until  last  January  when  she  suffered  a  severe 
nervous  shock,  owing  to  a  fall.  Mrs.Osterhont 
was  then  compelled  to  tako  to  her  bed,  from 
which  she  never  rose.  Her  death  resulted 
from  a  complication  of  diseases,  and  on 
Monday  morning  she  began  rapidly  to  fail, 
taking  no  nourishment  during  the  last 
thirty-six  hours  of  her  life. 

Mrs.  Osterhout's  maiden  name  was  Eliza- 
beth Cloyd  Lee,  daughter  of  Hon.  Thomas 
Lee,  of  Port  Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  where  she  was 
born  May  4,  IS  13.  Her  brother,  Hon.  Ben- 
jamin Lee  is  clerk  of  the  Supreme  Court  at 
Trenton,  N.  J.,  a  position  to  which  he  has 
jn^t  been  reappointed  for  a  further  term  of 
5  years.  Francis  Lee,  of  Port  Elizabeth,  is 
another  brother,  the  oldest  oi  the  family, 
aced  80  j  ears.  She  leaves  one  other  brother, 
Clement,  an  invalid,  of  Port  Elizabeth.  Two 
other  brothers  are  dead,  as  is  also  a  sister, 
the  family  having  consisted  of  7  children. 

In  1840  Miss  Lee  became  Mrs.  Isaac  S. 
Osterhout,  her  husband  being  the  donor  of 
the  Osterhout  bequest  lor  the  foundation 
and  perpetuation  of  a  free  nublic  library. 
Indeed  the  idea  of  this  magnificent  bequest, 
estimated  at  §300,000,  was  suggested  to  Mr. 
Osterhout  by  his  wife  and  the  two  were 
equally  interested  in  the  project.  Upon  his 
death  Mr.  Osterhout  bequeathed  $30,000  to 
his  wife  and  a  life  interest  in  one-half  of  his 
real  estate.  The  remainder  of  his  property, 
beyond  some  few  minor  bequests,  being  left 
to  nine  trustees  to  accumulate  for  five  years 
and  then  be  utilized  in  the  establishment  of 
the  library 

Inquiry  of  one  of  the  trustees  of  the  library 
fund  elicited  the  information  that  the  death 
of  Mrs.  Osterhout  would  probably  in  noway 
affect  the  plans  of  the  trustees  with  regard 
to  the  use  oi"  the  Presbyterian  Church,  The 
income  of  the  trustees  will  be  increased  by 
about  $4,000.  making  their  total  annual  in- 
come, from  the  estate,  in  the  neighborhood 
of  $13,000. 

The  funeral  took  place  April  30,  at  3 
o'clock.  A  large  number  of  friends  were 
present  at  the  services,  among  them  the  fol- 
lowing relatives,  Benjamin  Lee  and  son,  of 
Trenton,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dickinson,  of  Cam- 
deu,  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Kirby,  of  Bridgton,  N.  J., 
Peter  M.   Osterhout,   of  Tunkhannock  and 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Draper  Smith,  of  Plymouth. 
Rev.  Henry  L.  .Jones  conducted  the  service 
and  there  was  singing  by  Mrs.  Thomas,  Miss 
rliilman,  Adolph  Baurand  John  B.  Yeager. 
The  pall  bearers  were  .-dx  of  t tie  trustees  of 
the  Osterhout  Free  Library,  Hon.  E.  L. 
Dana,  A.  H.  McCliutock,  A.  F.  J>rr,  Sheldon 
Reynolds,  Dr.  Hodge  and  Hon.  H.  B.  Payne, 
the  CMrriers  being  an  equal  number  from  St. 
Stephen's  vestry,  0.  M.  Brandow,  F.  J. 
Leavenworth,  Garrett  Smith,  S.  L.  Brown, 
Hon.  0.  A.  Miner  and  Hon.  H.  W.  Pahnt  r. 
Owing  to  the  often  expressed  desire  of  Mrs, 
Osterhout  thore  were  no  flowers  at  her  fune- 
ral. 

Mrs.  Ofsterhout's  Will. 

The  last  will  and  testament  of  the  late  M  rs. 
Elizabeth  Lee  Osterhout,  has  been  filed  and 
admitted  to  probate  in  the  office  of  Register 
of  Wills  Boyd.  Its  provisions  are  as  follows: 

To  her  sister  in-law,  Mrs.  Jane  B.  Lee.  of 
Bridgeton,  N.  J.,  widow  of  her  deceased 
brother,  Lorenzo  F.,  she  leaves  $2,000. 

To  her  niece  Mrs  Josephine  B.  Dickinson, 
of  Camden,  N.  J.,  daughter  of  her  brother 
Francis  Lee,  she  leaves  $2,000. 

To  her  cousin,  Mrs.  Anna  Lee  Paine,  wife 
of  L.  C.  Paine,  she  leaves  $1,000. 

To  her  cousin,  Miss  Margaretta  C.  Lee,  of 
Wilkes-Barre,  she  leaves  $2,000. 

To  her  cousin,  Mrs.  Caroline  Bickley, 
widow  of  the  late  Peterson  Bickley,  $1,0* X). 

To  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Colling-,  daughter  of 
the  late  Andrew  Beaumont,    $1,100. 

To  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Gilchrist,  widow  of  the 
late  Peter  McC.  Gilchrist  and  to  Mrs.  H.  B. 
Payne,  of  Kingston,  each  $o00. 

The  furniture  and  other  personal  property 
of  decedent  is  bequeathed  to  a  number  of 
her  relatives  and  friends,  except  her  books 
and  some  of  her  pictures,  which  are  donated 
to  tho  Osterhout  Free  Library. 

All  the  rest  of  her  estate,  real,  personal 
and  mixed,  is  divided  as  follows: 

To  her  brother  Clement  J.  Lee,  of  New- 
port, N.  J.,  one- fifth  part. 

To  her  brother  Francis  Lee,  of  Port 
Elizabeth,  N.  J.,  one-fifth  part. 

To  her  brother  Benjamin  F.  Lee,  of  Tren- 
ton, N.  J.,  one- fifth  part. 

To  her  nephew  William  S.  Bowen,  of 
Philadelphia,  and  to  her  niece  Mrs.  Jane  B. 
Kirby,  of  Bridgeton,  N.  J.,  each  one-tenth 
part. 

To  her  nephews  Henry  S.  Lee  and  Alfred 
S.  Lee,  of  Evnnston,  Wyoming  Territory: 
Lorenzo  F.  Lee,  of  Eagle  Hock,  Idaho,  and 
C.  S.  Lee,  of  Philadelphia,  each  one-twen- 
tieth part. 

Of  the  legatees,  two  have  died  since  the 
will  whs  made,  Mrs.  Collings  and  Mrs. 
Gilchrist. 

If  anj  of  tho  legatees  objects  to  any  of  the 
provisions  of  the  will  or  contest  the  same, 


142 


T1IK  HISTORICAL  HECOHD, 


then  the  legacy  to  such  legatee  shall  become 
null  and  void. 

The  will  is  dated  Dec.  23,  1882,  and  ap- 
appoints  L.  C.  Paine  and  A.  H.  MeClintock 
as  executors,  Tho  signature  was  witnessed 
by  Harrison  Wright,  since  dead,  and  A..  T. 
MeClintock. 


A  Former  Wilkes-Barrcan  Dead. 

Alexander  H.  Dana,  a  prominent  lawyer 
in  New  York  City  for  many  years,  died  early 
Wednesday  morning,  April  27,  of  peritonitis, 
at  the  home  of  his  daughter,  Mrs.  C.  H. 
Noyos,  at  Montc)air,  N.  J.  Mr.  Dana  was 
born  in  Owego,  N.  Y„  July  4,  1807.  He  was 
a  son  of  Eleazar  Dana,  president  judge  of 
that  district,  who  was  a  brother  of  Anderson 
Dana,  Sr.,  and  in  early  life  removed  from 
Wilkes-Barre  to  Owego.  Deceased  wad 
graduated  from  Union  Coilege,Schenectady, 
when  he  was  17  years  of  age.  Ho  studied 
law  in  New  York,  and  began  practice  beiore 
he  was  21.  He  was  first  associated  with  a 
Mr.  Egan,  but  afterward  became  head  of  the 
firm  of  Dana,  Woodruff  &  Leonard.  This 
connection  existed  until  1851,  when  he  took 
offices  with  Clarkson  N.  Potter.  After  that 
he  either  practiced  by  himself  or  was  as  oci- 
ated  with  his  son,  Francis  E.  For  the  last 
five  years  he  did  little  work.  One  of  his  last 
important  cases  was  the  controversy  had  by 
the  Stewart  estate  with  the  Lelands,  in  which 
he  was  successful.  He  was  a  very  effective 
pleader,  possessing  a  good  voice  and  fluency 
of  language.  He  wrote  the.  law  articles  for 
the  first  edition  of  Appleton'sNew  Americau 
Encyclopedia.  He  was  the  author  of  "Enig- 
mas of  Life,  Death  and  the  Future  State/' 
and  "Ethical  and  Physiological  Inquiries." 
His  wife  died  in  1870,  and  since  then  he  lias 
lived  alternately  with  his  married  daughters 
in  Montclair  and  Brooklyn.  He  leaves  two 
sons  and  three  daughters.  Of  tho  sons 
Francis  E.  is  a  lawyer  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  M. 
Dana,  a  minister  at  St.  Paul.  Minn.  The 
funeral  took  place  from  the  residence  of  his 
daughter,  Mrs.  E.  A.  Street,  288  Hancock 
Street,  Brooklyn. 

Gregory  was  Named   lor  Him. 

George  Gregory,  of  this  township,  died 
April  8.  Ho  had  been  ailing  for  some 
time,  although  not  supposed  seriously.  But 
the  culmination  of  his  disease  took  place  un- 
expeciedly,  and  Friday  morning  he  died. 
Mr.  Gregory  was  over  67  years  of  age,  and 
had  always  been  a  resident  of  Hunlock.  By 
his  own  exertions  he  acquired  a  goof,  prac- 
tical education — rather  better  than  the  most 
of  his  school  fellows— and  taught  several 
terms  of  common  schools.  Ho  wa*eiectcd  in 
early  life  to  the  then  important  office  of  jus- 
tice of  the  peace,  in  Union  Township.     Sub- 


sequently, he  was  elected  to  various  other 
township  offices,  all  of  which  he  tilled  satis- 
factorily to  those  who  elected  him.  Nearly 
thirty  years  ago,  he  and  his  brother  Benja- 
min built  the  grist  mill,  at  the  place  now 
known  as  Gregory.  He  also  owned  the  grist 
mill  at  Ceasetown,  in  Jackson  Township.  In 
early  life  he  married  Miss  Frances  Roberts, 
who  survives  him.  and  is  now  the  por-trni-- 
tress  of  Gregory  postoffice.  A  large  congre- 
gation of  friends  assembled  at  the  funeral 
on  Sunday  at  the  home-tead.  to  pay  their 
last  respects  to  a  generous  and  obliging 
neighbor  and  a  useful,  memorable  man. 

A  White  Haven  Contractor  Dead. 

John  VV.  Levan  died  at  White  Haven 
Mouday,  May  0,  after  an  illness  that  con- 
fined him  to  his  bed  for  only  three  days,  at 
the  age  of  58  years.  Mr.  Levan  was  up  to 
the  time  of  his  death  one  of  the  most  exten- 
sive coal  breaker  designer-  and  builders  in 
the  Lwhigh  region.  He  has  been  the  builder 
of  breakers  for  A.  Pardee  &  Co.,  John  Leis- 
enring  &  Co.  and  Coxe  Bros.  Lfc  Co.  for  the 
past  ten  years.  He  had  just  completed  at 
the  time  of  his  death  a  very  large  and  mod- 
ern designed  breaker  for  the  Silver  Brook 
Coal  Co.  in  Schuylkill  County. 

Deceased  is  survived  by  his  wife  and  sev- 
eral adult  children.  The  eldest  son,  Lafay- 
ette, is  the  general  superintendent  of  the 
Oliver  Chilled  Plow  Works  iu  South  Bend, 
Ind.  Daniel  H.  has  been  associated  with  his 
father  in  breaker  building  and  other  con- 
tract work.  The  firm  built  the  several  saw 
miils  of  Albert  Lewis  &  Co.,  the  latest  being 
one  at  Harvey's  L"ke.  Of  the  daughters, 
Elizabeth  is  the  wife  of  Gaius  L.  Halsey, 
Esq.;  Alice  is  the  wife  of  A.  W.  Fellows;  Ab- 
bie  is  the  wife  of  William  F.  Porter,  princi- 
pal of  the  White  Haven  schools.  All  the 
children  except  Lafayette  reside  in  White 
Haven  and  he  arrived  prior  to  his  father's 
death. 

Mr.  Levan  occupied  a  foremost  position  in 
the  business  intere-t-  of  White  Haven  and 
was  a  nrominent  and  highly  re.-pecttd  citi- 
zen. He  took  a  leading  interest  in  the  con- 
struction of  theinter-coanij  bridge,  recently 
erected  by  Luzerne  and  Carbon  Counties, 
and  was  one  of  the  partners  in  the  White- 
Haven  Bronze  Burial  Casket  Co.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  town  council  fur  many  years. 
Mr.  Levan  was  a  regular  attendaut  upon  the 
services  of  the  Presbyterian  Churcn.  He 
gave  detailed  directions  as  to  ins  funerp.l, 
specifying  that  he  be  buried  under  Masonic 
auspices  in  the  family  plot  at  Siegfried's 
Bridge,  Northampton  County. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


143 


Death  of  Mrs.  Miiiihou, 
[Letter  to  the  Kditor.  ] 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Munson,  mother  of  D.  A. 

Munson,  diea  at  her  son's  iu  Frank- 
lin Township.  Columbia  Co.,  on  Thurs- 
day, the  5th  inst.,  after  an  illness 
of  nearly  six  weeks.  The  deceased 
was  horn  July  7,  1797.  Her  father,  Chris- 
tian Atherholt,  was  one  of  the  first  settlers 
in  the  back  part  of  Kingston  Township,  Lu- 
zerne Co.,  when  all  was  a  wilderness,  for  I 
have  often  heard  Mrs.  Munson  tell  about 
the  hard  times  when  their  small  crops  were 
cut  off  by  the  frost.  Once  I  remember  her 
telling  that  all  they  had  to  eat  was  milk  and 
roasted  apples,  also  that  she  had  worked  a 
week  for  a  yard  of  calico.  She  used  also  to 
tbll  about  the  wolves  howling  in  packs  near 
by,  and  some  of  them  venturing  even  to 
COme  on  the  roof  ot  their  lo<<  cabin. 

Sue  was  the  second  wife  of  Abel  Munson, 
his  lirst  wife  being  Elizabeth  Shaver, by  whom 
were  born  seven  children,  Philip,  Charles, 
Walter,  Mary  Ann,  Asa,  George  and  Able. 
By  the  second  wife,  David  A.  Mrs.  Munson 
reared  five  of  the  step-children  to  manhood 
and  womanhood,  unprotected  by  a  husband's 
hand,  for  as  some  of  the  readers  of  this  piece 
will  remember,  Able  Munson  was  killed  Dec. 
8,  1830,  by  the  upsetting  of  his  wagon 
along  the  narrows  iu  Toby's  Creek,  where  it 
is  supposed  ho  froze  to  death,  as  he  was 
found  with  his  head  out  of  water.  The  team 
was  also  dead.  The  step  children  now  alive 
are  Philip,  now  a  resident  of  Michigan: 
George  of  Iowa;  Asa  of  Kingston  Township, 
Luzerne  Co.  Mary  Ann  married  George 
Atherholt,  butdied.leavingachiida  week  old, 
a  girl,  whom  Mrs.  Mun-on  took,  and  with  her 
sou  D.  A.,  reared  to  womanhood, when  she  be- 
came the  wife  of  George  Johnson,  of  Brown's 
Corners,  Jackson  Township.  There  are 
living  yet  of  her  sisters,  Mary,  the  wife  of 
Hiram  Harris,  Rachel,  the  w.fe  of  John 
Anderson,  and  David  Atherholt,  their  only 
brother.  Those  dead  were  Katy  Schooley, 
wife  of  Isaac  Schooley:  Esther  Delay,  wife 
of  Jacob  Delay,  and  Nancy  Fazer,  wife  of 
your  townsman,  John  Fazer. 

Mrs.  Munson  lived  in  Kingston  Township 
until  April  1.  1872,  when  she,  with  her  son 
1>.  A.,  moved  to  Franklin  Township,  Colum- 
bia Co.,  where  she  enjoyed  reasonably  good 
health  up  to  within  a  Tew  weeks  of  her  death. 
She  was  a  member  of  the  christian  church 
for  40  years  or  more,  and  a  strict  attendant 
to  church  duties.  She  was  buried  at  Mt. 
Zion,  the  funeral  being  conducted  by  Rev. 
W.  S.  Hamlin.  May  her  christian-like  life 
lead  the  family  she  left  to  higher  attain- 
ments in  the  spiritual  life  that  thej  may 
meet  her  on  the  other  shore.  D.  A.  M. 

Franklin  Township,  May  14,  1887. 


Mr«.  Clement  Hooper  Dead. 

Rebecca  M.  Molzger,  wife  of  Clement 
Hooper,  daughter  of  Daniel  MelzRer  and 
sister  of  Charles  B.  and  Miss  Linda  Motz- 
ger,  died  Sunday,  May  15,  aged  48  years,  11 
months  and  3  days,  at  her  homo,  31  Madi- 
son Street.  Mrs.  Hooper  died  of  a  compli- 
cation of  lung  and  heart  troubles,  though 
her  death  came  suddenly.  She  was  married 
to  Mr.  Hooper  in  1809,  at  the  Motzger 
homestead,  now  occupied  by  Wm.  Stoddart, 
they  removing  soon  after  to  Philadelphia, 
where  her  husband  was  actively  engaged  as 
a  contractor.  His  health  breaking  down, 
they  removed  to  Wilkes- Barre.  Deceased 
was  an  active  member  of  Memorial  Presby- 
terian Church  and  a  worker  in  the  Sunday 
School.  She  was  educated  at  Wyo- 
ming Seminary,  graduating  therefrom  in 
1854.  From  that  time  until  her  marriage, 
15  years  later,  she  taught  school,  and  there 
are  hundreds  of  persons  in  Wilke-i-Barre, 
now  grown  up  and  married,  who  received 
their  first  education  at  her  hands.  Like  her 
mother,  she  was  fond  of  going  about  doing 
good,  and  was  a  welcome  visitant  in  the 
sick-rooms  of  such  of  her  acquaintances  as 
needed  her  kindly  ministrations.  She  was 
one  of  earth's  noblest  women,  and  there 
wiil  be  many  an  aching  heart  upou  hearing 
of  her  demise.  Besides  her  father  and  hus- 
band, five  children  are  left  to  sorrow  for  a 
loving  and  indulgent  mother — Cynthia, 
William,  Carrie,  Mary,  Juliet.  The  funeral 
took  place  Tuesday  at  4  o'clock.  Interment 
in  the  family  plot  in  Holleuback  Cemetery. 


Death  of  an  Octogenariau. 

Mrs.  Esther  McCarty.  of  Dallas,  whose 
husband  died  several  years  ago,  died  on 
Maj  22d  at  2  pm„  after  two  or  three  weeks' 
illness,  of  rheumatism.  Mrs.  McCarty  8 
years  ago  suffered  a  fracture  of  the  hip,  and 
had  been  unable  to  walk  since.  She  had 
lived  half  a  century  in  Dallas  and  was  at  the 
time  of  her  death  88  years  of  age. 

Mrs.  McCarty  ieaves  a  large  family  of 
children.,  all  adults:  Mrs.  James  Riley.  Mrs. 
Enaiiie  Johnson,  Peter  H.  McCarty,  Wm. 
McCarty,  Enoch  McCarty,  Harvey  McCarty, 
all  of  Dallas,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Worden,  a 
widow,  of  Harvey's  Lake,  and  Freeman  Mc- 
Carty. of  Wilkes-Barre.  The  funeral  took 
place  Tuesday  at  2  pm.  at  the  Dallas  M. 
E.  Church,  with  interment  in  the  adjoining 
cemetery. 

— Mrs.  Julia  A.  Brown,  widow  of  Truman 
Brown,  of  Jackson,  Luzerne  County,  died  at 
the  residence  of  her  sou,  Marion  Brown,  on 
Monday,  May  2,  aged  81  years.  She  was  a 
sister  of  Gordon  and  Butler  Swetland,  of 
Mehoopany.— Tunkhannock  New  Age. 


141 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


ROUT  OF  THE  SIX  NATIONS. 

Sullivau's  Expedition  in  1779— The  Jour- 
nals of  the  Officers  and  Centennial  .Pro- 
ceedings of  1 S70  About  to  be  Published 
by  the  State  of  New  York. 

Maj.-Gen.  John  Sullivan  and  the  offi- 
cers who  accompanied  him  on  his  expe- 
dition against  the  Six  Nations  of  Indiaus 
in  1779  were  certainly  among  the 
luckiest  ones  of  the  American  Revolutionary 
war.  They  were  lucky  at  the  time  in  being 
detailed  to  perform  a  task  in  which  the 
chances  were  many  to  one  in  favor  of  win- 
ning fame  at  the  least  exposure  to  danger, 
lucky  in  the  time  of  year  selected  for  their 
expedition,  lucky  in  having  been  set  upon 
the  Indians  at  a  time  when  the  latter 
were  poorly  prepared  to  offer  resistance, 
and  lucky  in  having  been  given  authority  to 
exterminate  as  they  went  along.  The  opera- 
tions of  these  Indians  aud  their  Tory  leaders 
in  the  Mohawk  Valley,  in  Schoharie,  at 
Cherry  Valley  and  at  Wyoming  had  con- 
vinced the  American  commander  that  the 
most  humane  solution  of  the  Indian  prob- 
lem then  under  consideration  was  to  wipe 
out  the  power  if  not  the  persons  of  those 
troublesome  New  York  tribes.  The  time 
selected  for  striking  the  blow  was  in  sum- 
mer, when  the  invading  army  would  be 
able  to  destroy  the  growing  as  well  as  the 
stored  supplies  of  the  enemy,  thereby  re- 
ducing to  want  whatever  number  might 
survive  the  sword.  The  expedition  started 
from  th6  point  of  rendezvous  on  the 
Susquehanna,  in  Pennsylvania,  in  June, 
accomplished  the  object  of  its  mission,  and, 
returning,  arrived  at  the  point  of  departure 
in  October.  Any  one  acquainted  with  the 
country  which  Sullivan's  army  traversed 
would  say  that  a  midsummer  journey  through 
it  must  be  a  pleasant  experience  under  the 
most  trying  conditions.  The  march  of  this 
military  command  was  a  picnic  compared 
with  the  average  experience  of  other  sections 
of  the  American  Army  of  the  Revolution. 
The  fame  of  the  expedition  would  be  secured 
by  the  fact  of  its  having  made  an  end  of  the 
power  of  the  Six  Nations,  but  it  was  pre- 
served for  a  perpetual  presence  by  the  liter- 
ary zeal  and  industry  of  the  subordinate 
olucers  of  the  command. 

The  good  luck  of  the  expedition  followed 
it  after  the  war  and  is  still  with  it.  The 
many  minute  and  accurate  journals  fell  into 
the  right  hands  for  their  preservation  aud 
now,  after  more  than  a  hundred  years,  the 
conditions  for  their  permanent  keeping  in 
book  form  are  singularly  propitious,  in 
1879  centennial  celebrations  of  Sullivan's 
march  were  held  at  prominent  points  along 
the  line,  notably  at  Elmira,  where  the  first 
important  engagement  was  had  with  the  In- 
dians; at  Waterloo,  in  coinineinoiutiou  of  the 


events  in  Geneva  County;  at  Geneseo,  the  ul- 
timate point  of  the  march,  and  at  Aurora 
on  Cayuga  Lake,  the  site  of  one  of  the 
Indian  towns  that  were  destroyed.  The 
Legislature  of  1879  passed  an  act  author- 
izing the  publication  under  the  direction  of 
the  Secretary  of  State  of  the  proceedings  of 
similar  celebrations  of  tho  hundredth  anni- 
versary of  the  battles  of  Oriskany  and  Sara- 
toga, and  of  the  founding  of  the  State  at 
Kingston.  In  1881  an  item  of  85,000  was 
put  in  the  Supply  Bill  to  pay  for  the  publi- 
cation of  the  proceedings  of  the  Sullivan 
celebrations  and  the  journals  kept  by  the 
otlicers  of  the  expedition,  but  Gov.  Cleve- 
land vetoed  it,  not  deeming  the  matter  to 
be  collected  and  published  of  sufficient 
public  importance  to  justify  the  expenditure. 
In  1885  a  special  act  providing  for  this  pub- 
lication was  passed  and  was  signed  by  Gov. 
Hill.  The  Comptroller  refused  to  permit  the 
work  to  go  on,  however,  because  the  amount 
to  be  expendod,  85,000,  was  not  specifically 
appropriated.  Last  year  this  defect  was 
remedied  by  placing  the  amount  in  the  re- 
gular Supply  Bill.  These  records  could  not 
well  be  published  by  private  enterprise. 
However  desirable  it  might  be  to  have  them 
in  accessible  aud  authentic  form,  they  would 
not  make  a  book  for  popular  sale.  It  was 
therefore  fortunate  for  the  Sullivan  expedi- 
tion that  the  Governor,  who  was  to  approve 
of  the  appropriation,  was  a  native  and  life 
resident  ef  the  region  through  which  the 
march  was  made.  He  had  a  personal  pride 
in  putting  the  record  in  book  form.  Another 
circumstance  in  favor  of  having  the  work  of 
publishing  this  record  done  accurately  and 
promptly  is  that  it  falls  upon  the  present 
Deputy  Secretary  of  State,  Diedrich  \\  illers, 
Jr.,  a  resident  of  Seneca  Couuty,  and  some- 
thing of  an  enthusiast  on  the  history  of  the 
Six  Nations. 

Mr.  Willers  is  now  reading  the  proofs  of 
the  volume,  which  is  published  under  con- 
tract by  Knapp,  Feck  »fc  Thomson,  of 
Auburn.  It  will  be  a  book  of  over  700 
pages,  printed  and  bound  in  popular  book 
form.  The  editorial  supervision  primarily 
is  in  charge  of  Gen.  John  S.  Clark,  of 
Auburn,  who  has  enriched  the  text  with 
abundant  foot-notes  which  throw  much 
clear  and  useful  side-light  on  the  narative. 
There  are  20  distinct  journals  by  Sullivan's 
officers.  Some  of  them  are  for  the  most  part 
daily  entries,  giving  the  condition  of  the 
troops,  the  distance  marched,  the  state  of 
the  weather,  and  the  kind  of  country  met 
with,  while  others  are  remarkably  full.  It 
seems  as  if  the  jouraalizers  regarded  their 
enterprise  as  one  that  future  generations 
would  be  anxious  to  know  all  about.  Besides 
the  journals  the  book  will  contain  accounts 
of  the  centennial  celebrations  of  1679,  steel 
portraits  of  the  principal  officers,  including 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


145 


Gen.  Sullivan,  Gen.  James  Clinton, who  con- 
duoted  the  right  wing  of  the  invading  army 
from  tlie  Mohawk  Yalloy  by  way  of  Otsego 
Lake  and  the  Susquehanna  to  "Tioga  Point," 
now  Athens,  Pa.;  Col.  Philip  von  Court- 
laud,  Col.  Peter  Gansevoort  and 
others;  also  a  most  valuable  feature 
in  the  shape  of  maps  of  the  main 
march  and  the  most  important  of  the  snb- 
expeditions  into  the  country  of  the  Senecas 
and  Cayugas.  These  maps  are  not  deduc- 
tions from  the  text  of  the  journals.  They 
are  fac  similies  of  maps  made  by  the  geo- 
graphers and  surveyors  of  the  expedition. 
The  route  of  the  main  march  and  the  diver- 
sion through  the  Cayuga  country  were 
measured  by  the  chain  of  the  surveyor  who 
accompanied  the  army,  and  accurate  maps 
were  made  and  preserved.  Iu  reading 
these  journals  and  examining  the  maps 
one  is  surprised  to  see  how  the  dis- 
tances and  comments  on  the  conntry, 
then  a  forest  save  where  the  Icidiaus 
had  their  corn-fields  and  their  vegetable- 
gardens,  tally  with  the  more  accurate 
surveys  of  recent  times.  The  length,  size, 
character,  and  possibilities  for  navigation 
of  the  lakes  from  Cayuga  westward  as  far  as 
Sullivan  marched  in  thi*  State  are  set  forth 
with  an  accuracy  which  left  nothing  for  sub- 
sequent exDlorers  and  pioneers  to  add. 
Throughout  the  journals  the  original  no- 
menclature and  orthography  have  been  pre- 
served. 

Gen.  John  Sullivan  was  engaged  in  the 
thickest  of  the  fight  for  American  independ 
euce,  but  his  name  might  not  be  remember- 
ed before  some  of  his  compeers  if  it  were  not 
connected  with  this  last  struggle  of  the  Six 
Nations  for  existence.  He  commanded  the 
first  American  force  that  offered  armed  re- 
sistance to  Great  Britain.  This  was  iu  De- 
cember, 1774,  near  Portsmouth,  N.  H  ,  the 
December  before  the  battle  of  Lexiugtou. 
He  whs  born  in  Berwick,  Maine,  February 
17,  1740,  and  was  bred  a  lawyer.  In  1775 
he  was  appointed  Brigadier  General. 
The  next  year  he  went  to  Canada  with 
a  reinforcement,  and  by  reason  of  his  suc- 
cesses he  was  commissioned  a  Major- Gen- 
eral in  August,  177B.  He  did  good  work  in 
the  battle  of  Long  Island,  where  he  was  cap- 
tured. Having  been  exchanged,  at  Trenton, 
in  1770,  he  was  iu  command  of  Gen.  Lee's 
division.  In  1777  he  made  a  raid  upon 
Stateu  Island,  commanded  the  right  of  the 
American  forces  at  Brandywine.  gained  a 
victory  over  the  British  at  Gerinantown, 
but  was  afterwards  repulsed,  did  some  ex 
cellent  sorvice  in  Rhode  Islaud,  and  was 
next  selected  by  Gem  Washington  to  lead  the 
famous  expedition  against  the  Six  Nations. 
Throughout  that  incursion  the  strictest  mil- 
itary discipline  was  enforced.  it  is  proba- 
bly true  that  no  peparate    command  during 


the  Revolutionary  war  was  handled  with  the 
intelligence  and  appreciation  of  tho  work  in 
hand  that  characterized  the  rout  of  tho  Six 
Nations.  When  he  returned  from  the  In- 
dian country.  Sullivan  resigned  his  commis- 
sion and  re-entered  Congress,  which  he  had 
left  iu  1775  to  take  a  command.  From  1782 
to  1780  he  was  Attorney  General  of  New 
Hampshire,  and  for  the  next  three  years 
Governor  of  the  State.  His  last  service  was 
on  the  bench  as  Federal  Judge  of  New 
Hampshire,  which  position  be  hold  from 
178(J  till  his  death  in  1705. 

But  for  this  Sullivan  march  into  the  west- 
ern country  of  the  Six  Nations,  New  York 
State  would  have  no  soil  west  of  Oneida  and 
Oswego  Counties,  from  the  lake  to  the 
Pennsylvania  border,  that  was  touched  by 
the  Revolutionary  war.  The  left  wing  of 
Burgoyne's  army  from  Oswego  was  headed 
off  at  Fort  Stauwix  (Rome*  and  Ori-dcany, 
and  its  line  of  march  bounded  the  Revolu- 
tionary territory  of  New  York  State  on  the 
west,  except  as  to  Sullivan's  invasion.  Tho 
country  through  which  the  Sullivan  army 
marched  must  alwujs  be  noted  for 
charming  scenery,  richness  of  soil 
and  the  contentment  and  intelligence 
of  its  people.  From  Wyoming  to  the 
junction  of  the  Eastern  Susquehanna  and 
the  Chemung  Rivers  the  valley  is  narrow 
but  fertile.  From  this  junction  to  Elmira 
some  of  the  richest  farms  of  Southern  New 
YTork  are  spread  out.  The  route  thence  to 
the  head  of  Seneca  Lake  is  the  least  attract- 
ive of  Sullivan's  entire  march  It  was  on 
this  portion  that  the  army  met  their  most 
disagreeable  experiences.  The  journals  of 
the  officers  agree  in  execrating  the  Catharine 
swamp  and  the  marsh  land  at  the  head  of 
the  lako.  From  where  the  village  of  Havana 
now  stands  the  army  bore  to  the 
right  and  followed  the  east  shore  of 
Seneca  Lake,  rounding  the  foot  of  it  and 
making  one  of  its  most  noted  halts  where 
Geneva  now  stands.  Thence  the  line  whs 
west,  past  the  north  end  of  Canandaigua 
Lake  on  to  the  Genesee  River,  near  the  vil- 
lage of  Geueseo.  This  river  being  consid- 
ered the  western  limit  ot  the  country  to  be 
invaded,  the  army  countermarched  intact 
till  it  arrived  at  the  site  of  Geneva.  Thence 
three  expeditions  wnre  sent  out.  one,  under 
Col.  Peter  Gansevoort. through  the  territory 
of  the  Ouondagas,  the  <  meidas  and  the  Mo- 
hawks, to  Albany  as  the  terminus  of  the 
march;  another,  under  Col  William  Butler. 
to  cross  *he  foot  of  Cayuga  Like  and  trav 
erse  its  eastern  shore:  the  third,  under  Col. 
Deer  born,  to  proceed  to  tho  west  shore  of 
Cayuga  Lake  and  follow  it  to  the  head  of"  the 
lake.  Meantime  the  main  army  under  Sni- 
livau  continued  their  return  inarch  up  the 
east  shore  of  Seneca  Lake  over  the  line  ad- 
vanced upon.    Col.    butler  and  Col.   Deer- 


146 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


born  had  orders  to  follow  Cayuga  Lake  on 

either  side  to  its  head  and  thence  to  proceed 
across  country  and  join  the  main  army  at  or 
near  Newtown,  now  Elmira.  Col.  Butler  on 
the  east  side  of  Cayuga  Lake  destroyed  an 
Indian  village  where  Union  Springs  now  is, 
another  where  the  pretty  village  of  Aurora 
now  sits  by  the  lake  side,  and  others  on  his 
way  up  to  the  site  of  the  present  Ithaca. 
There  he  expected  to  be  joined  by 
Col.  Deerborn,  but  the  two  detachments 
did  not  reunite  till  they  joined  the  main 
army  on  the  Chemung'.  About  two  miles 
south  of  Ithaca  the  last  Indian  village  the 
expedition  encountered  was  destroyed.  When 
the  army  was  reunited,  all  except  Gen.  Gan- 
sevoort's  Mohawk  detachment,  near  New- 
town, a  jollification  was  held  after  which  the 
march  back  to  Wyoming  for  further  service 
was  successfully  accomplished.  The 
journals  of  the  ollicers  mention  a  minor  ex- 
pedition that  was  sent  up  the  Chemung  val- 
ley, while  the  main  army  was  waiting  at 
Newtown  for  the  Cayuga  Lake  expedition, 
to  dislodge  any  Indians  that  might  be  found 
as  far  west  as  Fainted  Post. — H.  D.  C.  in 
Neiv  York  Evening  Post,  Albany  Letter. 

The  Merediths  are  Mixed. 

A  writer  in  the  Honesdale  Independent 
says  the  remains  of  Gen.  Samuel  Meredith, 
whom  President  Washington  appointed 
United  States  Treasurer  and  whom  Thomas 
Jefferson  complimented  for  his  integrity,  lie' 
buried  at  Belmont,  Wayne  Co.,  Pa.,  in  a 
grave  unmarked  by  any  fitting  memorial, 
and  this  writer,  after  lamenting  this  sad 
fact,  says: 

"You  will  allow  me  to  say  that  history  informs 
rue  that  Samuel  Meredith  was  horn  in  Philadel- 
phia in  1779,  and  educated  in  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania.  He  was  admitted  to  the  Philadel- 
phia bar  in  1805,  to  the  Wayne  County  bar  in 
1810  and  to  the  Luzerne  County  bar  in  1816.  He 
wae  Prothonotary,  and  liegister  and  Keeorderof 
Wayne  County  from  1818  to  1821.  In  1824  he 
opened  the  first  coal  mine  beiow  Carbondale. 
lie  was  a  man  of  energy  and  tact  and  died  at 
Trenton,  N.  J.,  in  March,  i.855.** 

Washington  was  first  inaugurated  as  Presi- 
dent in  April  1789,  when  Mr.  Meredith,  ac- 
cording to  the  above,  was  onlj  10  years  old 
and  rather  young  to  be  treasurer  of  the 
United  States.  At  the  beginning  of  Wash- 
ington's second  term,  Mr.  Meredith  could 
have  been  only  14,  and  when  Washington 
finally  retired  only  IS.  When  the  "Father 
of  his  Country"  died,  Mr.  Meredith  could 
not  have  been  many  months  over  20  years 
old.  The  Wayne  County  antiquarian  has 
either  got  his  dates  wrong  or  made  Mr. 
Meredith  treasurer  at  the  wrong  time.  That 
worthy  lived  long  enough  to  have  been 
treasurer  under  President  Taylor— when 
William  M.  Meredith,  of  Philadelphia,  was 
secretary  of  the  Treasury— or    even   under 


President  Pierce  for  two  years. — Exchange. 
The  foregoing  from  the  last  issue  of  the 
Milford,  Pa,,  Gazette,  appears  to  present  a 
case  of  very  much  mixed  history.  The  tau- 
glo  is  straightened  out,  however,  when  it  is 
exDlained  that  ih.e  Wayne  Conuty  writer  has 
given  Thomas  Meredith's  history  for  Samuel 
Meredith's,  the  former  having  been  the  son 
of  the  latter.  One  of  Thomas' daughters  is 
Mrs.  Capt.  Graham,  of  this  city.  Sam- 
uel Meredith  was  treasurer  of  the 
United  States  under  Washington  and  con- 
tributed with  Mr.  Robert  Morris  and  other 
mutual  friends  the  first  monies  that  ever 
found  their  way  into  the  treasury  of  the 
United  States.  The  fact  was  developed  in  a 
letter  written  by  John  Sherman  while  secre- 
tary of  the  treasury  after  a  careful  examina- 
tion of  the  old  records  of  the  office.  Eis  de- 
scendants have  documentary  evidence  of  the 
donation,  which,  by  the  way,  is  said  never  io 
have  been  repaid  either  to  him  or  his  de- 
scendants, c.  B.  J. 


Descendant  of  a  Pioneer  Family. 
John  S.  Marcy  was  born  Nov.  1,  1821,  in 
Marcy  Township,  and  has  lived  there  all  his 
life,  with  the  exception  of  3  years  when  in 
the  late  war.  Mr.  Marcy's  family  consisted 
of  eight  children,  four  of  whom  are  living. 
One  is  the  wife  of  Charles  Marcy,  of  Marcy 
Township,  Lackawanna  County:  another  is 
the  wife  of  P.  M.  Conniff,  of  Wilkes-Barre, 
and  J.  W.  Marcy,  of  Kingston,  and  M.  G. 
Marcy,  living  at  home.  John  Marcy's 
grandmother  was  the  wife  of  Ebenezer 
Marcy  and  daughter  of  Jonathan  and  Con- 
tent Spencer,  of  Saybrook,  Conn.,  after- 
wards of  Fishkill,  N=  Y.  Ebenezer  was  born 
Feb.  11,  1708.  He  was  proprietor  of  a  mill 
in  Wyoming  Valley  and  was  at  the  fort  on 
the  east  side  of  the  river  v>  hen  the  massacre 
occured  on  the  west  side.  The  boats  having 
been  removed  he  was  unable  to  be  present 
at  the  light.  lu  the  tight  Ebenezer  Marcy's 
wife  gave  birth  to  a  child  on  Pocono  Moun- 
tain, which  she  named  Thankful.  Having 
subsequently  returned  to  Wyoming  Valley 
Thankful  died  at  the  age  of  19. 


Almost  a  Nonagenarian. 
[Catawissa  News  Item.] 
Mrs.  Elizabeth  Munson,  mother  of  D.  A. 
Munson,  died  at  her  son's  in  Franklin  Town- 
ship, on  Thursday,  the  5th  inst.,  after  an 
illness  of  nearly  six  weeks.  The  deceased 
was  born  Juiy  7,  1797.  died  May  oth,  1887, 
aged  eighty-nine  years,  nine  months  and 
twenty-eight  days;  her  father  was  one  of  the 
lirst  settlers  in  Kingston  Township,  Luzerne 
County,  where  she  lived  until  in  April  1872, 
when  she,  with  her  son  D.  A.,  her  only  child, 
moved  to  Franklin  Township. 


THE  HISTORICAL  RECORD. 


147 


Old  Time  Dancing  Masters. 

[Letter  to  the  Editor.  J 

J  doubt  if  anything  makes  a  deeper  im- 
pression  on  the  young  than  the  glory  of  the 
first  dancing  school.  If  any  exception  bo 
taken  to  this  assertion,  all  I  can  say  in  re- 
turn is,  I  am  speaking  for  myself. 

The  first  teacher  1  had  the  honor  of  perform 
iug  under  was  a  sedate  gentleman  by  the 
name  of  Tobias,  from  Lancaster.  That  city 
city  had  produced  some  distinguished  intii, 
but  in  my  view  none  equal  to  Mr.  Tobias. 
He  was  a  man  of  good  presence,  good  man- 
ner, had  the  use  of  his  heeis,  and  was  a 
medium  violinist. 

I  think  it  was  in  lSS^),  he  opened  his 
school  at  Morgan's,  on  the  present  site  of 
Mr.  Darling's  dwelling  in  Wilkes- Barre  and 
another  at  Atherton's  hotel  in  Plymouth. 
To  get  all  out  of  the  thing  that  was  in  it,  I 
attended  both.  It  was  an  ea-y  matter,  on  a 
good  horse,  to  ford  the  river  at  Plymouth, 
pass  up  through  thelnman  andLazaius  flats, 
and  thence  on  to  Morgan's.  Dark  nights  or 
stormy  ones,  or  even  a  slight  freshet,  was 
no  hindrance  to  an  ambitious  jonth  of  19, 
in  search  of  knowledge.  All  the  >oung  dam- 
sels of  the  county  seat  attended  the  school. 
This  probably  had  some  weight;  for  that 
class  of  young  ladies  has  never  been  excel- 
led. 

After  this,  probably  the  outcrop  of  Mr. 
Tobins'  laborers  amongst  us,  there  was  the 
annual  ball  on  the  22d  February  at  the 
Phoenix.  To  this  came  the  notables  of  Ber- 
wick, Danville,  Bloom,  Tnnkhannock  and 
other  outlying  cities. 

Porter,  the  memorable  landlord  of  the 
Phoenix,  hf.d  what  was  called  a  spring  floor. 
It  was  over  the  long  dining  room  and  sup- 
ported only  at  the  sides  of  the  apartment. 
The  combined  tramp  of  many  feet,  in  time 
with  the  band,  produced  a  vibratory  motion 
something  like  the  teeter  of  a  buckboard. 
It  always  seemed  a  wonder  to  me,  the  whole 
affair  didn't  crash  down  with  its  live  freight. 

This  short  history  pertaining  to  the  subject 
of  the  dance,  would  be  deficient  without 
mention  of  Messrs.  Morton  and  Jones.  They 
were  the  successors  of  Mr.  Tobia*.  Their 
school,  very  large  and  successful,  was  at  the 
Dennis  Hotel,  where  is  now  the  National 
Bank. 

Mr.  Morton,  from  Philadelphia,  was  a 
very  polite  gentleman,  short  of  build,  yellow 
haired,  florid  complexion  and  frolicsome  on 
his  legs  as  a  young  colt.  I  never  look  at  the 
picture  of  Pickwick  in  his  oratorical  attitude, 
but  it  reminds  me  of  Morton.  Mr.  Jones,  per 
contra,  was  a  very  slim  <  onu-z  gentleman. 
Nature  must  have  had  a  fiddler  in  view, 
when  drafting  the  plans  and  specifications 
of  his  makeup.  He  had  the  most